Loose Lips Sink Ships
by laoisbabe
Summary: Gibbs finds himself back in Mexico to see Mike. Some uncensored words in a bar lead to a whole lot of trouble for Gibbs as his past catches up with him. Mild torture scenes early on. Some angst. Hint of Tiva eventually.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Note – this is set**__** before Mike Franks meets his grand daughter. Just something that occurred to me one night. Hope you like it. And as usual, a bit of whumpage thrown in (needlessly some might say) :D. Also apologies in advance for my lame attempt at Spanish. And as everyone knows, I own nothing NCIS related (besides my Season 1-6 boxsets)!!!! It's all belongs to CBS!**_

NCIS HQ

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was tired. It had been a busy week, heck, a busy month. He struggled to even remember the last day he'd had off. He sat at his desk and looked over at his equally exhausted team. They had done another fine job wrapping up their latest case. It was 4pm on a Friday evening. They were busy completing the paper work that went hand in hand with solving cases.

"Hey," he called rousing them from their concentration. "Call it a day. This can wait until Monday morning." Thankfully Redmond's team was on call for the weekend.

Tony looked up with surprise, unsure if he'd heard correctly. Gibbs usually liked his cases all wrapped up and put neatly to bed long before his team got to bed.

"Eh, seriously Boss?" he asked timidly.

"Yeah, get outta here," Gibbs smiled unnerving Tony slightly.

Tony didn't need to be told twice. He took his back pack and jacket and scurried around his desk, bidding his compatriots a good night as he ran. He was quickly into the elevator and on his way home. Ziva stood up and packed away her things and within a few minutes had also left. Gibbs continued typing his report. A few minutes later he looked over and realised that McGee was still there.

"No where to go, McGee?" he asked.

"Just finishing up, Boss. A couple more minutes and I'm done," McGee replied.

"Okay," Gibbs replied standing up from his desk. "I'm going to say good night to Ducky. See you Monday."

"See you, Boss," McGee replied.

Gibbs hopped into the elevator and arrived down at autopsy. Ducky was sitting at his desk in the corner when he entered. He had his desk drawer open and was enjoying a sneaky glass of Scotch.

"Ah, Jethro, won't you join me?" Ducky said taking another glass from the drawer.

"Well, you know how I hate to see a man drink alone, Duck," Gibbs replied with a wry smile. He accepted the glass that Ducky offered him and took a large swig from it. He was about to hop up and sit on the nearest autopsy table when his cell phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs," he answered unimpressed by the interruption.

"Senor Gibbs? This is Juanita Munoz. I am a friend of Senor Miquel. We met when you stayed at his beach house," she began.

"Yeah, I remember you, Juanita. What can I do for you?" Gibbs asked.

"It's Senor Miquel. I think he is ill but he refuses to see a doctor. He insists that he is fine but I know there is something wrong. The day before yesterday I found him unconscious on the beach. He said that he stayed out in the sun too long, but I know him, Senor Gibbs, it was more than that," she explained.

"Does he know you're calling me?" Gibbs asked.

"No, Senor Gibbs. He will be so mad when he finds out," Juanita replied. Gibbs knew she was right. Mike would be fuming.

"Don't worry, Juanita. I could do with some Baja sun right about now. Leave the stubborn son of a bitch to me," Gibbs said shaking his head.

"Thank you Senor Gibbs. Muchos Gracias," Juanita replied before ending the call.

"Is there something wrong, Jethro?" Ducky asked after overhearing the conversation.

"That was a friend of Mike Franks. She says he's ill but in denial. She wants me to try and talk some sense into him," Gibbs explained.

"And will you?" Ducky asked.

"There's only one way to do that, Duck. I'll have to pay him a visit. I'll see if I can get a flight over the weekend. Might even stay a few days, I'm due some vacation days anyway," Gibbs said sipping his drink.

"Good for you. You will come back this time?" Ducky said with a smile, referring to Gibbs retirement to Baja a couple of years previous.

"Maybe," Gibbs laughed as he and Ducky clinked glasses and toasted his unexpected vacation.

----------

Once he got home that night, Gibbs packed a few t-shirts and jeans in a hold all. He deliberately packed lightly as he had only planned on spending a few days in Mexico. He phoned an airline and managed to book a seat on a flight to Tijuana leaving Dulles early the next morning. His mind wandered to his old friend. He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. He knew if there was anything wrong that he would probably have to drag it out of Mike. He was never one to complain or one to ask for help. He and Mike were a lot alike. They were both fond of their own company, gave their very soul to their jobs and as a result sacrificed the trappings of family and a home life. Knowing what it took to make it as an agent was probably what helped maintain their close bond, even though they were separated by hundreds of miles. He was one of Gibbs few good friends. He hoped whatever his illness, he wasn't going to lose his friend.

------------

Next morning his flight left on time. He dozed for most of the flight and felt relaxed and refreshed when they landed in Tijuana. He caught a taxi from outside the terminal and it took him to Santa Tomas the nearest town to where Mike lived. It was a good walk to the beach where Mike had his cabin but Gibbs found it relaxing. He slung his hold all over his shoulder, put on his baseball cap and sunglasses and strolled along the roadway until he reached the beach house. He could see Mike sitting on a deck chair on the veranda, cooler box on the ground beside him. As Gibbs neared he let a yell.

"There better be one of those with my name on it," he called cheekily. Mike Franks stood up and looked utterly shocked to see his old friend wandering towards his house.

"Well I'll be. What happened to you, Probie? Did ye take a wrong turn off Pennsylvania?" Mike chuckled when he realised who it was. "Or have you gone and retired for good this time?"

Gibbs joined in the laughter as he climbed the steps of the veranda. He hugged his old pal and received his welcome.

"It's good to see you, Jethro," Franks said slapping him on the back. "Sit your self down and tell me all," he said rooting down through the melting ice in the cooler box and drawing out a perfectly chilled bottle of local beer. Gibbs gratefully accepted it and topped it with ease. He drank, allowing the golden liquid quench his thirst and gazed out at the crystal clear ocean.

"I can see why you love it here, Mike," he said absorbing the scenery.

"What more could a man ask for?" Mike replied lighting up a cigarette. He started coughing almost immediately.

"When are you going to give those things up?" Gibbs asked him seriously.

"After thirty years of smoking, Probie, I think the damage is done, don't you?" Franks asked.

"Is it Mike?" Gibbs asked. Mike frowned at him. What did he mean by that?

"Why are you here, Probie?" Mike asked assuming there was an ulterior motive for the unannounced visit. Gibbs turned and leaned on the balustrade of the veranda.

"Juanita called me. She's worried about you," Gibbs replied honestly.

"That girl is unbelievable. She's gone and got it in her head that I'm sick. I'm not sick. I'm just getting older," Mike replied angrily. "I got a bit of sun stroke last week and she thinks my ticker is acting up. Looks like she's got you buying into her theory and all."

"If you say you're fine, Mike, then I believe you," Gibbs replied placating his friend. "The water looks good. Are the fish biting today?" Gibbs asked changing the subject.

"No idea, haven't been out yet today. Change your gear. I'll get the boat ready and we can see," Franks suggested. Gibbs changed into shorts and a t-shirt, put on sun lotion and was ready to go in no time. Mike had pushed his small motor boat to the edge of the water and waited for Gibbs to join him.

"Are you ready then?" Mike asked him as Gibbs swung the cooler box into the boat. Gibbs gave a quick nod and helped Mike push the boat into the water. Mike jumped on board quickly followed by Gibbs. He promptly engaged the motor to take them past the low breaking waves. Gibbs felt relaxed on the water and filled his lungs with the salty air. Mike followed the coast for a short while before heading out to sea. Eventually he stopped the motor and they drifted for a while. The two friends baited their fishing poles and threw in their lines. They fished, drank beer and reminisced about old times. They caught a few, threw back a few more and as dusk settled they decided it was best to head back to the beach house. As they landed their craft on the beach, Mike Franks handed Gibbs a bucket containing their catch.

"I caught 'em Probie, so you cook 'em," he grinned playfully. Gibbs snatched the bucket in mock annoyance and let himself into the beach house. He threw their catch into the sink and began the unenviable job of gutting them. He cleaned them masterfully none the less and soon he had them frying on a pan, their aroma reminding him of how hungry he was. Pretty soon the two men were sitting on the veranda watching the moon rise over the ocean, enjoying their meal.

"Not bad, Probie. I didn't know you could cook," Franks commented.

"You'd be amazed by my hidden talents," Gibbs replied.

"I'm sure I would," Mike retorted. He paused and appreciated the prettiness of the reflection of the moon on the crystal sea. "So, let's go to town," he suddenly suggested.

"What? Now?" Gibbs asked feeling the effects from his long journey.

"Aw, come on Probie. You're not that old," Mike mocked. "I'll even drive."

"Really? You mean you've got it working again," Gibbs replied referring to the wreck of a truck Franks had sitting at the side of the house.

"You sound surprised," Franks replied. "You'd be amazed at my hidden talents too, you know." Gibbs laughed and couldn't say no.

"Just let me get my wallet," Gibbs said standing up and returning inside.

"Yeah, you'll be needing that. Drinks are on you tonight," Mike shouted after him.

Much to Gibbs surprise the old truck made it as far as town. Mike parked it out front of a hectic cantina. They went inside and sat at the bar. They ordered beers followed by tequila shots. This they did for the whole night. The drunker they got, the looser their tongues became and the more uninhibited their topics of conversation. By 11pm they were quite a sight. Uncharacteristically for Gibbs he allowed his judgement to become impaired by the alcohol. Little did he know how he would suffer as a result of his loudness and bragging. The two gringos stuck out like sore thumbs in the bar. They attracted certain attention that they could have done without. One young lady in particular became very interested in a very drunk Gibbs and hung on his every word as he relayed stories of his military adventures. She encouraged his stories especially when he told her that he had been a sniper. She wanted to know about his kills and unusually for Gibbs he told her things he would never usually speak about. He found her interest flattering and his anecdotes flowed freely. Mike egged him on and plyed him with tequila all night. It was to be a costly night in more ways than one.

_**TBC**_

**_A/N - Just painting the picture with this opening chapter. Stick around for Chapter 2._**


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N – Just to let you know that the italics are Gibbs thoughts as various things happen. It's gonna get interesting from here on in – I promise :D_**

The next morning Gibbs woke stretched out on the veranda of Mike Franks beach house having no recollection of how he had got there. His head was pounding so he raised it slowly, shielding his eyes from the glaring morning sun. His furred tongue was stuck to the roof of his arid mouth. Once he moved his stomach heaved and he leaned over the rail of the veranda just in time as he threw up onto the beach. He groaned as he made another attempt to straighten up. He was amazed to see the old truck parked at the side of the house. Gingerly he crept into the house where he was met by a refreshed looking Mike Franks whisking eggs in the kitchen.

"Good morning Probie. Did you sleep well?" he asked sounding chipper.

"Huh?" Gibbs replied reaching for the nearest chair and crawling onto it.

"You look like hell, Jethro. Have some eggs you'll feel a lot better," Mike said putting the eggs in the pan. Gibbs swallowed several times to try and quell the feeling of nausea. "Here you go, Probie," Mike said slamming a large glass of water and a packet of aspirin in front of him and laughing.

Gibbs could hardly speak he felt so rough. He popped two aspirin and downed the entire glass of water. He recalled the amount of alcohol he had consumed the previous night.

_How could I have been so juvenile? __Good thing Ducky's not here or I'd never hear the end of it! _

"I need a shower," Gibbs muttered quietly as he watched Franks tuck into scrambled eggs and toast.

"Towels in the cupboard," Franks told him. "There's no hot water though."

"It doesn't matter," Gibbs replied as he shuffled towards the bathroom.

By the time he came out of the bathroom, Franks had finished his breakfast. A slightly more refreshed Gibbs was greeted by the inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Mike had a large mug of strong coffee and a plate of dry toast on the table for him.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"A little," Gibbs replied as he sat down. "Don't ever let me drink tequila again."

"Famous last words, lightweight," Mike said smiling.

"So how come you're not dying as well. You drank a least as much as I did," Gibbs wondered.

"Stamina I guess," Mike teased. "I've had lots of practice."

Gibbs shook his head in disagreement and then regretted it instantly. He closed his eyes and waited for the kitchen to stop swaying. Mike tried to bite back a smile as Gibbs face turned a different shade of green. Then he watched as Gibbs took another large gulp from his coffee.

Needless to say the two men took it easy all morning. Gibbs gladly stretched out on the sun lounger on the beach in front of the house. He dozed on and off with his baseball cap pulled down over his eyes. Mike tinkered about with the truck's engine for a while and then decided to join Gibbs and chill out. When Juanita arrived with the two bags of groceries, she was met by the sight of both men snoring in the sun.

"Hey," she said kicking the sun lounger on which Mike lay. Mike woke with a start and almost tipped off the lounger. Gibbs raised his baseball cap when he heard the female voice.

"Juanita!" Mike said sounding a little grumpy. "I need to have a little chat with you."

"I don't have time to chat, Senor Miquel. I see you have a visitor. Good to see you again Senor Gibbs," she smiled playing all innocent. Gibbs smiled back at her.

"He knows Juanita," he told her apologetically.

"Damn right I know," Mike said standing up. "What gives you the right to butt into my business?" he snapped.

"Maybe the fact that I had to drag your sorry ass off the beach the other day. Who knows how long you would have laid there if I hadn't found you, you ungrateful wretch?" Juanita said biting back.

"No one asked you to," Mike snarled.

"I'm sorry I did," Juanita replied dropping the groceries on the sand and turning to go. The she turned back and glared at Gibbs. "And you! You are supposed to be getting him to see a doctor, not getting him drunk," she chided before marching away in a huff.

The two men exchanged glances. _Oops_!

"I guess we've been told then," Mike laughed. "Beer?"

By then having laid in the heat for ages and getting told of by Juanita, Gibbs decided that one beer wouldn't kill him, hair of the dog so to speak. They brought the groceries into the house and cracked open a couple of cold ones. Mike continued giving out about Juanita but Gibbs could see that theirs was a love hate relationship. It was obvious that Mike cared for the young woman and she for him, despite there being a large age difference. Gibbs wasn't sure if they had ever been together, he never asked and Mike never mentioned it. It was just one of those things.

Later that afternoon, Gibbs was feeling a little more alive and decided to go for a swim in the ocean. He loved the ocean. He loved the power of nature, the perfection it held. He left his flip flops on the sand and removed his t-shirt. He waded in until the water was almost thigh high then he dived head first under the next beach bound wave and swam out into the deep water. It felt beautiful. He followed the line of the beach for ten minutes until the decided he should probably turn back. As he emerged from the water, he was met by Mike.

"Good swim?" Mike asked.

"You're a lucky man, Mike. All this literally on your door step," Gibbs commented looking around at the perfect sand.

"Yeah, I know. Too bad I don't swim," Mike quipped. Gibbs laughed. One thing he could always count on was for Mike Franks to make him laugh. "Come on Probie," Franks said slapping Gibbs on his bare shoulders.

"Where are we going?" Gibbs asked.

"Town," Mike replied. "I know a place where they make a mean enchilada. My treat this time," he said elbowing Gibbs in jest.

"Sounds good. Just let me shower and I'll be ready in ten," Gibbs replied.

-----------------

The heat of the day was finally diminishing and the two former colleagues parked the truck and walked the few steps to the cosy El Panchos restaurant in the centre of Santa Tomas. They spent the best part of the evening there, enjoying each others company, feasting on the most authentic Mexican cuisine and needless to say, having a cerveza or two. When they finally finished at the restaurant they found themselves meandering back towards the bar where they had spent such a boozy time the previous night. Despite Gibbs misgivings about a repeat of last night Mike managed to coax him to join him. It wasn't as busy in the bar as it had been the previous night although there were still plenty of customers around.

"Come on Probie, one for the road," Mike smirked.

Gibbs not wanting to be a wet blanket agreed to go in "just for one". The pair parked themselves at the bar just as they had the night before. Mike ordered the drinks. Gibbs protested when Franks ordered Tequila shots to accompany their beers. This time though, recalling the state he had woken up in that morning, Gibbs declined. He wasn't going to be convinced and Mike knew that once his mind was made up there was no changing it.

"All right then. You can drive home. No point wasting them" Mike said as he tossed the drinks down his throat one after the other. Gibbs shook his head but said nothing. He knew better. What he didn't realise was that the whole time they had been in the bar they were being watched from across the room. She stayed in the shadows making sure she wasn't recognised. Although from the state they were in last night, she knew it was unlikely that they would even remember her. As they sat finishing their beers, she slipped out unnoticed.

Eventually Gibbs managed to convince Franks that they should be getting back to the beach house. Mike staggered noticeably as they walked back to the truck. As he attempted to climb into the drivers seat Gibbs stopped him.

"Eh, Mike. I'm driving," Gibbs reminded him.

"What? Oh yeah, Probie. No problem," he said tossing the keys to Gibbs.

Gibbs started up the noisy old truck and took off slowly along the main street in the direction of the beach house. As they reached the open road, Gibbs increased his speed as he relaxed into the journey. When they neared the beach, Gibbs turned onto the narrow dirt road which would eventually bring them back home. It was uneven and lined with deep ditches and large rocks.

_At least the headlights __are working this time._

As they rounded a sharp bend Gibbs saw the lights of another truck coming towards them. Gibbs applied the brakes to slow down and presumed the other driver would do the same. He was wrong. To him it appeared that they had in fact speeded up. He had no choice but to turn sharply to avoid a head on collision. He could hear Mike's colourful language as he braced himself for whatever was to come. Gibbs stood on the brakes trying to stop the truck but it hurtled towards the ditch that ran alongside track. Unfortunately Gibbs made the mistake of trying to steer away from it but all it accomplished was rolling the truck. Gibbs and Franks were flung around the cab of the truck as it tumbled into the dry ditch. Eventually it ended up on its roof its wheels spinning in the dust. Mike lay half in and half out of the smashed cab window. Gibbs was in a crumpled heap on the upturned roof. He was stunned but conscious and attempted to raise his head and find a way out of the truck. His vision was blurred and he was in considerable pain. Then he saw the truck door being opened. He blinked his eyes tightly to try and clear his hazy vision. He called for help. Through the haze he could have sworn that a raven haired woman was leaning in and smiling at him. A combination of pain and the crack on the head he took, eventually took its toll and he lost consciousness.

_**TBC**_

**_So, what do you think so far? It's a bit off beat but it will make sense soon - I hope! Reviews always appreciated ;)_**


	3. Chapter 3

It was early the next morning when Juanita was driving to Mike's house when she saw the upturned truck off the side of the road. She stopped immediately and ran down the incline to where it lay. She was horrified when she saw the bloody figure of Mike Franks lying there.

"Madre del Dios," she exclaimed, her hand to her mouth. At first glance she thought he was dead. She started to pray for his soul as she bent down and felt for a pulse. To her surprise he was still alive.

"Senor Miguel, can you hear me?" she said trying to rouse him. He didn't move. She knew she would have to leave him to get some help as she didn't carry a cell phone. She ran back to her car and turned it around and hurried back to town. She raised the alarm and found the local doctor. He called an ambulance while she drove him back to the scene. The nearest hospital was over an hours drive away in Ensenada. She hoped Senor Miguel would make it. He looked pretty badly injured. When they got back to the overturned truck nothing had changed. Mike was still unconscious and exactly where she had left him. The doctor examined him and was concerned about his head injury. He carefully extricated him from the truck with Juanita's help and treated the superficial wounds as best he could. He noticed the open fracture of his leg as he examined him more closely. He wrapped the wound as best he could. There was little else he could do. Mike Franks needed a hospital.

It was hours before he reached the Hospital Bajanor and he received the emergengy treatment he required. He underwent surgery on his leg and it was late that evening before he finally opened his eyes. Once his initial confusion dissipated he demanded to know where Gibbs was. Juanita told him that there was no one else in the truck when she found him.

"Jethro was driving. He had to be there," Mike insisted. Juanita shook her head. "Well God damn it, we have to go back and look for him. He could be wandering around out there hurt or worse" Mike said realising the seriousness of the situation. Juanita tried to appease Mike angst and called her father from the hospital and told him everything that had happened, that Gibbs was missing and that he could be injured. Her father agreed to get a few men together and to search the area close to the road and the beach house. All she could do now was wait.

-----------------

Gibbs fought back to consciousness. He made a few attempts to open his eyes. One of them was clamped shut from dried blood from a cut over his eyebrow. He tried to raise his hand to wipe away the blood and found that he couldn't move his arm. All of a sudden a panic rushed over him and as he struggled he found that he couldn't move at all. He then realised that his hands were pulled behind his back and he became more aware of the ropes that were cutting into his wrists. He was sitting on a wooden chair. Each arm was bound to the back of the chair. His ankles were also bound to the chair legs. He couldn't budge. He roared in frustration and kicked and struggled as best he could but he was stuck fast. Eventually he realised that his struggle was useless. He needed to take stock of his situation. He tried to look around the place where he was being held, turning his head as far as it would go. The building was a wooden construction with a wooden sand covered floor. He deduced that he was in a boat house, more of a boat shed really. There didn't appear to be anyone around. Then as the rest of his senses awoken he became aware of an excruciating pain in his arm shooting down into his elbow. It was probably broken he assumed. He eventually remembered the crash and Mike.

_Where was Mike?_

He scanned the boat house. He was definitely the only one there. He felt helpless and confused.

_What the hell __is going on?_

His head was pounding, he felt like his skull would explode. He tried to figure out what time it was and how long he had been there. There were slits between the wooden boards of the boat house. He could see the light streaming through so it was definitely day time he deduced. He couldn't estimate anything other than that. A wave of nausea washed over him and he swallowed deliberately to try and quell the urge to throw up. Gibbs had experienced this feeling before.

_Concussion __is a bitch_.

He had no idea for how long he sat there. He must have fallen asleep at some stage because he jumped awake when he heard someone opening the door of the boat shed. He raised his head off his chest and opened the only eye he could. He squinted as the light poured in to his prison. He stared at the silhouette in front of him. It was that of a woman. As she entered he could see her more clearly.

_Yep, definitely a woman_.

She walked right up to him and grabbed him roughly by the hair.

"So, you're awake then," she said calmly. Gibbs glared as best he could at her.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"You don't remember me? How disappointing," she said trying to sound hurt. Gibbs shook his head. "Were you really that drunk?" she asked. Gibbs couldn't remember her at all.

_Was I really that drunk?__ What did I do to piss her off so much?_

"I gazed into those beautiful blue eyes as you told your old war stories, so to speak. Don't you remember what you were talking about?" she asked. Gibbs shook his head.

"Those stories of the guys you killed in Kuwait. You were a sniper, right?" she asked.

_Aw, hell! What did I tell her?_

"Well speak up. Cat got your tongue?" she asked sharply slapping him on the cheek. Gibbs turned his head away from her and waited for the stinging to abate.

"And do you remember telling the story of your most prized kill, do you?" she asked grabbing his shirt. Gibbs shook his head.

"Too bad. I do!" she said menacingly. "A little village outside Mexico City? Nineteen years ago? Jogging any memories yet?"

_Jesus, what have I done? __What does she know?_

Gibbs heart rate increased and he started to perspire even more. He swallowed hard as the woman teased him with droplets of information.

"One shot is all it took you boasted," she goaded. "He never knew what hit him, you bastard!" she yelled into his ear causing him to flinch. "Did you know that he had a family? Did you?" she asked grabbing his hair and yanking his head back. She leaned down to his ear and whispered. "Well he did!" she said pushing his head away from her roughly. She began to walk away from him towards the open door.

"To answer your question, my name his Estella Hernandez," she said pausing in the doorway. She turned to see his reaction and laughed as an air of shock descended on her prisoner. He recognised the name alright, well the surname at least. She closed the door of the shed and secured it once more. Gibbs couldn't believe what was happening. Whether it was the shock or the concussion he would never know but all of a sudden the bile rose in his throat and he puked, only barely managing to turn his head to the side in time. He still managed to soil his t-shirt in the process.

_Great! How could I have been so stupid? Me and my big mouth. Hernandez, not a name I'll ever forget. She must be his daughter. Does she want to kill me? I would if I was her. Why doesn't she just get it over with then? I hate games._

He shifted on the chair trying to straighten out his aching back and shoulders and got a sharp jolt of pain from his injured arm, a reminder of the trouble he is in.

_She wants me to suffer, great!__ How am I going to get out of this one?_

He licked his parched lips, the taste of vomit vile in his throat and mouth. He was quickly becoming dehydrated and hoped that he wouldn't purge any more vital fluids. He hung his head forward, resting it on his chest. He tried to breathe through his mouth so to avoid the pungent smell of his stomach contents which stained his shirt. He stayed this way for hours. Eventually the door of the boat shed opened again. Estella entered carrying what looked like a bottle of water. She stopped and turned her nose up at the stink as she approached Gibbs.

"Now that's not very nice Mr. Gibbs. You're a bit of a mess," she said turning her back on him and walking out into the evening air, leaving the door open. Gibbs was sure he could hear waves breaking on a beach. There didn't seem to be any other people around or any other building from what he could see. She was gone for about five minutes then she arrived back carrying a bucket. She walked close to Gibbs and then took the bucket by the handle in one hand and the bottom in the other and tossed the freezing contents onto him. The coldness took his breath away and it took him a minute to regain his composure. He could taste the saltiness of the sea water on his lips and it stung at the cut above his eye. He hated to admit it but it actually made him feel a little better. Estella disappeared again and returned with another bucket full. This time she didn't throw it on him. She placed it on the ground beside her.

Then she reached into the back of her belt and produced a long blade knife. She held it up to make sure Gibbs could see what she was holding. His breathing quickened as he wondered what she planned to do with it. She approached him with a disturbing smile on her face. She traced the blade along the inner leg of Gibbs trousers. She leaned in close to his face and allowed the blade linger between his legs. Gibbs swallowed hard and tried to keep his eyes on her and not on the blade. She slid herself onto him straddling his legs. Gibbs cursed his masculinity as he tried to quell the stirrings in his loins. She was a very attractive young woman. Any man would have to be made of stone not to be aroused. She started to pull at his belt and the top of his trousers.

_Oh please, are you serious?_

Without a word she tugged Gibbs soaked t-shirt out from his trousers and brought her knife up and swiftly cut through the shirt material. Soon the knife was slicing through the neck of the t-shirt with ease. Gibbs kept his throat as far from the blade as his binds would allow. She ripped the torn garment from his body exposing his tanned but bruised chest and strong broad shoulders. Her gaze was drawn to the healed scar on his left shoulder. She traced the blade around the old bullet wound.

"Hmmm, someone got a piece of you I see," she whispered seductively in his ear. Gibbs still remained silent and strong. "Does it hurt?" she asked pretending she cared. Again Gibbs didn't respond. His silence was getting on her nerves. She pushed herself off his lap and without warning she dug the tip of the knife into his old wound and twisted it cruelly driving the blade deeper. Gibbs cried out in agony as the blade tore at his flesh bringing tears to his eyes. Gibbs panted to try and cope with the pain. His captor smiled at his agony. Then she took a dirty rag from a shelf near the door and returned to him. She stood close to his right hand and dipped the rag into the salt water. She used it to bathe the wound above Gibbs eye and clear the dried blood that had sealed it shut.

"I want to be able to see the pain in both of your eyes," she said spitefully.

At least the moisture released Gibbs trapped eyelid and he could see properly as a result. However, he was still dealing with the pain from the knife wound in his shoulder and hardly heard a word she said. She picked up the bucket of water once again. She smiled before she drenched Gibbs once more. This time the salt bit into the fresh wound and burned the already tender area. He only just managed not to cry out again.

"Well, at least you'll be nice and clean when you meet my brother tomorrow," she grinned. "Although it looks like I'll need to find a way of loosening your tongue by then."

_**TBC**_

**_Hope I'm not upsetting anyone by beating up on poor old Gibbs. Nothing graphic, I promise!_**

**_Thanks u guys for reviewing by the way!_**


	4. Chapter 4

Juanita's father and some of his friends searched the entire area around the crash site and Mike Frank's beach house. There was no sign of Gibbs, no foot prints, no blood trail, nothing. It was like he had vanished into thin air. He reported this to Juanita by phone and she relayed it to Mike. They had searched until sun down. They promised her that they would resume in the morning. Mike didn't like this one bit. Something was very wrong. He needed to do something but physically wasn't in any shape to leave the hospital. The doctors had treated his injuries but were carrying out some tests on his heart. He was going to need some help. He asked Juanita to get in touch with NCIS in Washington and try and speak to Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Juanita promised to do so and told Mike to get some rest. Although he agreed he knew that sleep wouldn't come easily that night.

After some difficulty Juanita was finally able to get a telephone number for NCIS headquarters. She was put through to the main switch board and asked to speak to Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. She was informed that Agent DiNozzo was not in the office that weekend. She pleaded with the operator for Agent DiNozzo's home number but the operator flatly refused.

"Is there anyone else who can help you Miss?" she asked.

"I don't know. It's really important. It's about your Agent Gibbs. He's in trouble. I really need Agent DiNozzo's help," she explained.

"Well okay Miss. How about you give me your phone number and I'll contact Agent DiNozzo and ask him to call you?" the operator suggested. Juanita knew that was the best she could do and agreed. She gave her the number of the payphone in the hospital and then hung up and waited. After a long twenty minutes, the phone finally rang. She answered it immediately.

"Agent DiNozzo?" she asked urgently.

"Yes, Ms. Munoz. What can I do for you?" he asked curiously.

"I'm a friend of Mike Franks. He asked me to call you. He's been in an accident," she informed him.

"Oh right, is he okay?" Tony asked sounding concerned.

"He will be. It's Agent Gibbs," she said mournfully.

"Gibbs? What happened to Gibbs?" Tony asked fearfully. He didn't even know Gibbs was going to Mexico.

"We don't know," Juanita replied.

"What do you mean you don't know?" he asked.

"I mean…he's been missing ever since the accident. People are searching for him but so far he hasn't been located," she told him.

"I don't understand," Tony said. "He was involved in the accident but hasn't been seen since?"

"Yes," she replied. Straight away, it didn't sit properly in Tony's mind. The Boss was in trouble.

"Okay, I'll get our team down there to look for him. Leave it with me," Tony said hanging up. He sat down on his sofa and rubbed his brow. What the hell was going on? The Boss was missing. He knew he needed to let the others know. He also needed to inform Vance. Whether or not Vance authorised them to operate south of the border, Tony was going to Mexico to find his Boss. He didn't doubt for one second that he would have company on the journey south.

He made several calls alerting McGee, Ziva, Abby and finally Ducky. Ducky was extremely alarmed upon hearing the news.

"Good Lord Anthony. My fear is that Jethro is injured and wandering around not knowing who or where he is. Especially with his history of head trauma, Anthony, this could be very serious," Ducky explained anxiously.

"I know Duck. McGee is working on getting us on the first available flight. Our best bet is a Navy transport flight to San Diego and we can get to Baja easily enough from there," Tony replied.

"I'm coming with you Anthony," Ducky said forcefully. It would be unusual for the M.E. to travel such a distance on a case but this was different. This wasn't a case, it was more personal than that. Tony didn't object to him tagging along, in fact they might need him.

"I'll call you as soon as McGee gets back to me with travel arrangements," Tony said.

"What about the Director?" Ducky asked. "Does he know yet?"

"Not yet. I was thinking of informing him from the plane, if you know what I mean," Tony said slightly ashamed of his deviousness.

"That's probably a good idea," Ducky replied. "Let me know as soon as you can."

"Will do," Tony said before hanging up the phone.

By 5am the next morning DiNozzo, McGee, Ziva and Ducky were boarding a C130 Hercules bound for San Diego. Despite her protestations, Abby was convinced to stay in the Navy Yard as Tony explained that she was more valuable to them there than in Mexico. At least she had a multitude of technology at her disposal which might help them locate the Boss. Despite her heart felt need to be with them and actively searching for her silver haired fox, she knew that Tony was right. Her talents would be more productive in her own familiar surroundings.

----------------

While his team was in the air, Gibbs was shivering violently having been exposed to the cold night air for the duration of the night. He was feeling decidedly weaker and in a lot more discomfort after having spent over 24 hours tied to the chair. He was dehydrated and hungry. His stomach growled he was so hungry but he knew that if he didn't get water soon he'd die from dehydration. Another few hours passed. Gibbs buttocks and legs were numb. He wished he could move them in order to get the blood re-circulating. At least the pain had diminished from his arm. It was mid morning when his Estella chose to pay him another visit. This time he barely had the strength to raise his head to look at her.

"Good morning," she said sounding quite chipper. "It's such a beautiful day outside. It's going to be a scorcher. I brought you this," she said holding up a bottle. "I thought you might like a drink."

Gibbs licked his cracked lips in anticipation of quenching his thirst.

"Please," he croaked.

She strolled calmly over to him and put the bottle to his lips. At first he drank greedily until he felt the burn down the back of his throat and recognised the taste. It was Tequila. He turned his head away and spat out what was still in his mouth. He knew alcohol would only speed up his dehydration. Estella was unimpressed by his actions and smacked him across the face. Then she grabbed his chin and forced his mouth open.

"This might loosen your lips and make you a bit more sociable," she scowled.

She emptied the Tequila into his mouth. He tried not to swallow but she pinched his nose cutting off his air supply and leaving him no choice but to choke or swallow. He gagged and choked as she poured almost the full bottle of Tequila into him. As she stepped away from him, laughing, he spit at her defiantly.

She didn't take kindly to his disrespect. Still holding the practically empty bottle in her hand she swung it at him and hit him with it across the side of the head, her ferocity smashing it into pieces. Needless to say the severity of the blow rendered Gibbs unconscious immediately. Seeing the glass shatter over him and the blood pouring from his scalp shocked her more than she could have imagined. She was convinced that she had killed him. She dropped the remnants of the broken bottle on the floor of the shed and leaned in to see if Gibbs was still breathing. She couldn't see if his chest was rising or not. She touched his neck to feel for a pulse. She was relieved to find that he was still alive. It wasn't that she would mind killing her father's murderer but her brother was travelling all the way from Chihuahua to meet him. He would be very angry if she had taken all the pleasure for herself.

She decided that her actions had ensured that Gibbs would be incapacitated for several hours at least and thought that if she laid him on the ground that he might not choke and die before her brother arrived. She took her knife and cut the ropes from his legs and then from his arms. He toppled off the chair onto the ground and lay there motionless. She didn't want him bleeding to death so she ran back to her house and brought out a towel to try and stop the profuse bleeding from the ugly laceration to his scalp. Raul, her brother, would be so angry with her. As she knelt beside him, she almost collapsed with shock as a cell phone rang. She searched Gibbs pockets and pulled out his phone. 'Abby calling' came up on the phone screen. She threw the phone on the ground and stamped on it, smashing it. She knew that cell phones could be traced so she had to destroy it. Satisfied that she had dealt with that threat she proceeded to drag Gibbs over to one wall where a chain was attached to the wall. She attached one bracelet of a pair of rusty handcuffs to one of Gibbs wrists and the other to the chain. She left him lying on his side on the floor, the blood from his scalp wound soaking into the sand. She left the boat house extremely annoyed with herself for losing her temper and beating him like she did. She tried to absolve herself by telling herself that he was going to die one way or the other. If it was sooner, what difference would it make?

------------------

Gibbs team had landed in San Diego and were trying to secure the quickest route to Baja. They hired an SUV and the four of them, including Ducky drove to the border. They crossed the border without incident and were soon heading in the direction of Ensenada. By the time they reached the Hospital Bajanor the sun was going down.

They found Mike Franks in a hospital ward with five other patients. His face was bruised and cut and his leg in plaster. He was dozing when they arrived. Ducky approached the sleeping former agent and gently woke him.

"What?" he said waking with a start. Then he realised who it was. "Have you found him yet?" he asked straight away.

"No, Michael, we've just arrived," Ducky told him. "We're going to drive on to your beach house tonight and start the search from there in the morning. Agent McGee has agreed to stay here. You need to tell him everything you and Gibbs did, said and where you went for the last few days. Tell him everything you can remember."

"I'll try," Mike replied. "It's still a bit hazy," he said rubbing his head. "You can stay at the beach house. Juanita is gone back to town. She'll show you how to find it." DiNozzo nodded.

"And DiNozzo," Mike called as he started to leave. "If you need a weapon, there's an old trunk under my bed. You'll find what you need," he informed hm knowing that they wouldn't have risked taking a gun across the border.

"Thanks," Tony said. "McGee, we'll get going. As soon as you've anything, call me."

"No problem," McGee replied. "Good luck."

Tony knew that they were going to need more than luck. A miracle would go down a treat right about now.

By the time they got to the sea side town, it was dark. Juanita joined them and showed them the road to Mike's house. She asked them to slow down as they neared a bend in the road and showed the agents where the truck had overturned. They stopped and with flashlights had a quick look around. They agreed to return first thing the next morning. They found the beach house and Juanita showed them where Mike kept the spare key. They let themselves in. Nothing had been disturbed and there didn't appear to be any signs of trouble. There were several empty beer bottles lying around but other than that the place was quite tidy. Tony found Gibbs travel bag in the spare room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Ziva drove Juanita back to the town and Ducky and Tony made coffee and rustled up dinner from what they found in the cupboard. Tony seemed miles away as the two men stood in the kitchen.

"What are you thinking, Anthony?" Ducky asked, feeling the anxiety emanating from the young agent.

"What if he's dead, Duck?" Tony said turning towards Ducky, tears welling in his eyes.

"You can't think like that, Tony. I would never write off Leroy Jethro Gibbs. We're here to find him, Tony, and we will," Ducky insisted, slapping DiNozzo on the back. He couldn't have the strong one of the group getting melancholy and losing focus. Ducky knew he had to stay strong although his medical training was telling him that if Jethro was injured and collapsed somewhere in the open, the combination of heat exposure and dehydration could kill him very quickly.

When Ziva got back they ate an early supper and went to bed. They were up and out at the crash scene immediately after sun up the next morning. Ziva photographed the scene. There were two distinct blood stains visible. One on the roof of the vehicle above the steering wheel, the other inside and outside the passenger side door. Knowing that Franks was the passenger, they deduced that the other blood stain was from Gibbs. They took samples just to confirm later if need be. Then Ziva noticed something odd about the scene. The driver side door was opened and there were footprints leading away from it. There also appeared to be two deeper parallel troughs leading away from the truck.

"Tony!" she called sharply.

"What is it?" he asked coming around to her.

"What does that look like to you?" she asked pointing to the marks on the ground.

"Drag marks," he said slowly processing the implications. "It looks like Gibbs was dragged from the truck," he said following the tracks.

"By whom? And where did they take him?" Ziva wondered as she followed him.

"Tracks stop here," Tony pointed out as he climbed back up onto the dirt road. "Someone put him in a vehicle."

"Somebody took Jethro?" Ducky asked very much surprised when he followed the two agents back to the road.

"So it appears, Ducky. Why would someone take him?" Tony asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Ziva said anxiously.

"Okay, Ziva call McGee. Tell him what we know. Get hold of Abby. See if she has any ideas. We need to trace Gibbs and Franks last movements. Someone might have seen something in town," Tony said with authority.

They packed up their gear, jumped back in their rental and headed into town. Things had taken a sinister turn. They knew they had no time to waste.

**_To be continued......_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N – Firstly apologies for the delay in this chapter. Hope it's worth the wait. Also, I do realise that the conversations between Raul & Estella would be in Spanish, but for the sake of all us non-spanish speakers, I've written it in English.**_

When Gibbs woke he had no idea where he was. He was lying face down on the floor, grains of sand stuck to his blood stained face. One hand was shackled to a chain on the wall of the boat house. He raised his head but even the slightest movement made it feel like it was about to explode. He tried to sit up using his unshackled arm but cried out in pain when he put his weight on it. He looked down at it trying to figure out what was wrong. It was clear from its distorted shape and the excruciating pain that it was broken. Confusion reigned as he tried to remember how he had injured it. He looked around and saw the chair in the centre of the floor. The sight of it re-ignited a memory and he started to recall the events of the past couple of days. He was being held captive by a woman, a very beautiful woman if memory served correct. He still couldn't remember why. He managed to drag his leaden body over and sat leaning against the outer wall. He was parched. His lips were cracked and his mouth bone dry. His body shivered involuntarily even though he didn't feel that cold. His heart was pounding in his chest and every breath was an effort. He felt awful. As he sat he noticed beams of sunlight entering the shed though the wooden slats.

_How long have I been __here? I've got to get these damn things off._

He pulled at the handcuffs and twisted the chain hoping it would loosen. It was a waste of time. He barely had the strength to raise his arms.

_Someone's bound to be looking for me. Mike would mak__e sure of that…if he's alive._

As soon as he felt strong enough he tried to get to his feet. He managed to get onto his knees and holding onto the wall with his good arm he hauled himself to his feet. As soon as he straightened up black spots danced in front of his eyes. He shut them to try and make them disappear. His legs felt like jelly and he sank defeated back to the ground. He couldn't ever remember a time when he had felt this weak.

THen he thought he could hear voices outside the building. He didn't know whether to call for help or not. As he considered this, the door of the boat shed opened wide and a uniformed Mexican Police officer entered. Gibbs looked up at him, a sense of relief washing over him.

_Thank God. They__'ve found me._

He was sure the Comandante was there to rescue him. He was about to thank him when the man approached him and stared down at him in disgust. He kicked Gibb's feet before turning to the woman who had entered the building behind him. Gibbs looked at the two feeling overwhelmed and confused.

"This is him? What did you do to him?" he said looking at the pathetic figure sitting on the floor.

"He deserved it," Estella replied barely looking at him.

_I don't believe it!__ Her brother is Mexican Police. And he looks like someone who delivers his own sort of justice. I'm screwed._

"Stand up you piece of shit," he snarled, grabbing Gibbs roughly by his broken arm. Gibbs couldn't help but howl in agony. The Comandante laughed. "You really messed him up Stel." He pulled Gibbs to his feet.

"Sorry Raul. I couldn't let you have all the fun," she sneered. Gibbs did his best to stand up straight but he swayed visibly, his limbs hardly able to support his weight.

"Look at him, he can barely stand. I have an idea," Raul said opening the handcuffs momentarily. He pushed Gibbs back, pinning him against the wall using his shoulder. He then closed the other bracelet of the cuffs onto the wrist of Gibbs injured arm. He removed the chain from the wall and looped it over a beam in the roof of the shed.

_Oh God help me!_

It soon dawned on Gibbs what his intentions were. He dragged Gibbs into the middle of the shed and brought the chain between his handcuffed hands and back up to the beam. He pulled on the chain until Gibbs hands were raised high above his head. He secured the chain and then stood back and smiled, pleased by his efforts. Gibbs was standing on jellied legs with his arms at full stretch above his head. For Gibbs the pain was almost unbearable. He resisted the urge to cry out and beg his captors for mercy.

"Now Mr. Gibbs, maybe you'd like to repeat the story which you told my sister in the cantina. I'd like to hear it," Comandante Hernandez said walking ominously around Gibbs suspended form.

"It's Special Agent Gibbs," Gibbs corrected him under his breath.

"What did you say?" Raul asked not sure that he had heard correctly the first time. Gibbs raised his bloodied head and stared at his torturer.

"I said "it's Special Agent Gibbs"," he repeated defiantly.

"Special Agent? Really? How nice for you?" he mocked. "What? Did you think I'd quake at the mention of Federal Agent? That means nothing down here. Down here you are just the pig who murdered our father," Raul said punching Gibbs in the stomach. The impact caused Gibbs to instinctively try and bring his arms down to protect his abdomen. He yanked his broken arm and the pain shot down into his shoulder. It took his a while to catch his breath and steady his breathing. Raul and Estella enjoyed watching his distress.

"I haven't decided the best way to kill you yet. Thanks to your bullet our father died quickly but our mother died slowly. I bet you didn't know you killed her too?" he said with intimidation.

_What? He was the only one in the truck. I didn't kill any one else. __I know I didn't. There was only Hernandez. _

"She never got over losing our father. With him dead, the money dried up so she drank herself to death. Two years after we buried our father, we buried our mother. I was fourteen, Stel was eight," he told him.

Raul grabbed Gibbs by the chin and lifted his head and looked deep into his eyes. He could still see the flickers of the fire within.

"A tough guy, eh?" Raul said a little surprised at his resilience. "Good, we'll see how tough you really are."

He took out his police issue pistol. He put it to the side of Gibbs' head and pressed the cold steel against his tender skull. Gibbs continued to glare at him, never breaking his stare.

_Go ahead, do it! Go on!__ Get it over with._

Gibbs breathing quickened through gritted teeth and he braced himself for the end. But Raul just turned back at his sister and smiled. He took away the gun.

"Do you really think I'm stupid, Mr. Agent Man? A bullet from a police issue gun would be matched very easily," he grinned. "Estella, bring me Father's the gun from the house," he ordered.

Gibbs was hardly able to bear the pain from his broken arm being wrenched and twisted above his head and the piercing throb in his head. He felt sick again. He could feel himself loosing his grip on consciousness. He welcomed the beckoning darkness.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't remain unconscious for very long. Raul slapped his face repeatedly in an effort to revive him but to no avail. Then he resorted to throwing water in Gibbs' face to bring him around.

"Now, now, Agent Gibbs, don't leave us like that. You'll miss the party," Raul told him callously. Gibbs coughed and choked and opened his eyes. Through his blurred vision he could just about make out the shape of Raul and Estella. He tried to raise his head but hadn't the strength. His legs had failed him and he was now solely supported by the chains and his damaged limbs.

Raul was armed with different gun this time an old style revolver. Gibbs could hear him loading the weapon and spinning the cylinder. He was still unable to focus his eyes so couldn't actually see the weapon.

"Come here, Stel. Let's have some fun," he said calling her over. He handed her the gun. "You go first."

She took the pistol and smiled. She had always wanted to play Russian Roulette. This would be better though, all the fun and none of the risk.

"Where first?" she asked her brother.

"Up to you," he replied. She slid the bullet into the chamber and gave the cylinder a spin. She put the barrel to Gibbs' knee and pulled the trigger. Gibbs felt the gun against his trouser leg and braced himself for the impending pain but it never came. There was just a hollow click and nothing else except for Raul and Estella laughing. Then Raul took the weapon from his sister. Once again he spun the cylinder. This time he pressed the gun into Gibbs shoulder and fired. Thankfully the chamber was also empty this time. Gibbs heart felt like it would burst through his chest, it was pounding so hard. The stress on his body was immeasurable.

"Looks like you're in luck today Special Agent Gibbs," Raul said coldly. Estella grabbed the revolver out of Raul's hand and gave it another spin. She pressed the now burning gun metal into Gibbs' bare chest and looked in his desperate eyes. It was the first time she had seen him show even a glimmer of fear. She trailed it down from his right nipple to his navel before pulling the trigger as the barrel skimmed Gibbs' left hip. This time there was a resounding bang and the bullet tore through his skin and smashed into his pelvic bone. He screamed him agony as pain erupted in his lower body. His body contorted as he mercifully blacked out.

"Ooow," Raul jeered as he looked at the damage caused by the bullet. "That's gotta hurt."

"He's out," Estella noted as she grabbed his head and moved it around.

"Come on, leave him, I haven't eaten all day. I'm starving," Raul said without a care in the world. They left Gibbs hanging from the beam like a piece of meat. Blood soaked his groin area and trailed down his left leg, dripping onto the floor.

-------------------

Gibbs team arrived in the centre of town. Juanita kindly met them and showed them which cantina Gibbs and Franks had spent a couple of nights over that weekend. Tony was questioning the bar tender in broken Spanish asking if he remembered the nights when Gibbs and Franks were in. He said that he remembered them all right. The first night Franks' visitor got rotten drunk, he told him. Senor Miguel was keeping him tanked up with Tequila the whole night. He could hardly stand up by the end of the night, he told him.

Just then, Ziva's cell phone rang. It was McGee. He was calling to say that Mike Franks had remembered something else about the accident.

"What is it, McGee?" Ziva asked.

"He said that Gibbs didn't just lose control of the truck. There was another truck on the road and it ran them into the ditch," McGee explained.

"What? Do you have a description?" Ziva asked.

"All he remembers it that it was an old Dodge pick up and he is pretty sure it was red," he told her.

"Okay, McGee, thanks," Ziva said before ending the call. She told Ducky and Tony what McGee had just told her. Tony turned back to the bar man and asked if the two men had got into any disputes or if they were with anyone while they were there. He told him that he didn't remember any arguments. He remembered Gibbs flirting with a local girl, lots of laughter and by the end of the night the trio was pretty loud and obnoxious.

"Who was the girl?" Tony asked.

"I'm not sure of her name," he replied. "She works in the hair salon up the street, comes in ever now and then. It could be Ester or Stella or something like that," he informed him. Tony thanked him and the team left the bar discussing what they had learned.

"Sound like the Boss got lucky," Tony smiled. "Didn't think he had it in him."

"Jethro can be quite the charmer when he wants to be, Anthony. He did manage to land four wives don't forget," Ducky reminded him.

Tony nodded, suitably impressed by his mentor's pulling power. He really had to find him, if only to see what his secret is. As he was walking along the dusty street his cell phone rang. It was Abby.

"Hey, Tony. Have you found Gibbs yet?" she asked with gusto.

"No Abs, not yet. We have a lead though," he told her.

"Good. So do I. I hacked into the Mexican telecom network and gained access to their signal towers. I was able to track Gibbs cell phone activity. I tried calling him last night but it went to voice mail. The signal went dead almost immediately after that," she told him.

"So you have nothing," Tony said forlornly.

"Tony, you know me better than that. I never call when I have nothing. I can now tell you where his cell phone last had a service," she informed him.

"Great. Send it to me," Tony said impatiently before hanging up. The group reached the hair salon. They looked around. There was no red pick up parked in the vicinity. Tony decided to go in alone. He maintained his charm would get all questions answered. When he entered every head turned and looked at him. He smiled his best Di Nozzo smile.

"Buenos Dias Senorita's," he said oozing charm.

"Si, Senor. Can I help you?" an older lady asked him.

"I'm looking for one of your employees," he explained as he flirted openly with the older, yet strangely alluring woman.

"Take your pick," she grinned eagerly.

"Her name is Stella, I think?" Tony replied.

"Oh, you mean Estella. Don't mention her to me. She didn't bother to turn up to work this morning. I have a book full of appointments for her and she never even called. She need not show her face to me again," the woman snapped crossly.

"Oh, okay. I don't suppose you know where to find her?" Tony asked.

"She lives on the beach about a half hour drive south," the woman told him.

"And her full name is Estella…?" Tony enquired.

"Hernandez," the woman replied.

"Muchos gracias," Tony said taking the lady's hand in his and kissing the back of it, much to the sniggers of the salon owner's customers.

Tony left the salon and immediately called Abby again.

"Hey Abs. Get me whatever information you can on Estella Hernandez," he said short and sweet. Ducky overheard the short conversation and something clicked.

"Did you say Hernandez?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" Tony asked curiously. Ducky looked worried and paled slightly. He recalled a conversation he had a couple of years back in Jenny's office. Jethro was in a coma after the bomb blast on board the freighter. It was the day Ducky found out about Jethro's first wife, Shannon and his daughter Kelly. His thoughts turned to the photograph of the man suspected of murdering Gibbs' family which Jennifer had showed him. His name was Pedro Hernandez. Too much of a coincidence.

"You know that Gibbs family was murdered," he began to explain. Ziva and Tony listened attentively. "Well what you probably don't know is that Gibbs got his revenge on the man who killed his girls. That man was a Mexican drug dealer by the name of Pedro Hernandez. This could be Gibbs past catching up with him."

"So you don't think the name is a coincidence?" Tony asked the medical examiner.

"Unfortunately, no," Ducky replied warily.

"Come on. Let's go," Tony said turning and walking smartly towards their car,

"Where to now?" Ziva asked.

"I have directions to Estella Hernandez house. I think we should pay her a visit," Tony said striding ahead of her. They climbed back into the SUV and took the road south. Hopefully they would find out what had happened to Gibbs.

**_TBC_**

**_Tick tock, tick tock.....time is running out for Gibbs!!! How will it all end? Do you even care? Let me know!!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N - Thanks for all your reviews and comments guys. Always appreciated.**_

* * *

As the team drove south along the coast road, Tony's cell phoned buzzed to tell him that he had a message. It was from Abby with the location of where Gibbs phone was last active. It was in an area roughly twenty miles from Santa Tomas. She was unable to narrow it down any further than that.

"I think we're on the right path," Tony said as he checked the information she had sent. "Gibbs cell phone was last active in this area. He has to be here somewhere."

"I hate to say it but I have a bad feeling about this Anthony," Ducky piped up leaning forward from the rear seat.

"Me too Duck," Tony replied. He reached under the seat and pulled out the weapon that he had take from Franks' house. Just in case, he thought. He tucked it into his belt.

They neared a beach house and pulled up to it cautiously. Ziva and Tony knocked on the door and asked for Estella Hernandez. They were informed by the occupant that they had the wrong house but the gentleman gave them directions to the correct house. They went on their way and took the turn which he described to the next little cove. They saw a tiny little beach house in the distance. It had two vehicles outside, including a red pick up.

"This has to be it," Ziva said as Tony slowed the SUV some distance from the house.

"Ducky, do you have your cell?" Tony asked turning to the medical examiner.

"Yes, here," he replied taking it out.

"I need you to stay here. We'll call you once we know what's going on," Tony said with authority. Ducky agreed. He watched as the two agents crept down towards the beach house. They approached the house silently trying to ensure their presence wasn't detected. Cautiously Tony sneaked up onto the veranda and stole a peak through a window. He saw a young woman and an older looking man sitting at a table, drinking red wine and joking. He tried to hear what they were saying. He was pretty sure that he could see a gun on the table. Whatever they were up to, it wasn't kosher. They were pretty hyped up and by the looks of it pretty drunk. Tony decided that they should go in and talk to them. He indicated to Ziva to follow him to the door.

He signalled a countdown on his fingers, three, two, one and then they made a hard entrance. He kicked the door in and immediately shouted at the pair to get their hands up. Despite their shock, Raul thought he'd take a chance and went for the gun on the table. Tony reacted swiftly and fired one round hitting him in the right shoulder and knocking him off his chair. Estella screamed and rushed to her brother's aid as he lay bleeding on the floor. Ziva immediately secured their weapon.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Estella screamed at them.

"We're looking for Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Where is he?" Ziva demanded.

"He's not here," she screamed back at her. "Please help him," she pleaded referring to her wounded brother.

"Tell me where he is," Ziva insisted, pulling her away from Raul and shoving her on the sofa. Ziva kept her weapon trained on the two fo them while Tony searched the other rooms. There was no sign of Gibbs. Tony stormed back into the living area adn straight over to where Raul lay.

"Tell me where he is or I will put the next one in his skull," Tony threatened aiming the gun at Estella's brother. She looked at him and could see that he meant it. She decided to give them what they wanted.

"He's probably dead by now anyway," she chuckled looking at Raul's bleeding form.

"Where?" Tony shouted, not prepared to believe her.

"There's a boat shed a little further up the beach. He's in there," she told them.

Tony told Ziva to stay with them and ran from the house as fast as he could desperately searching for the boat house in the failing light. He saw the outline of the building in the distance and sprinted as fast as he could to it. He opened the door and could hardly see what was inside because of the fading light.

"Gibbs?" he called praying for an answer. None came. He strained to see what was inside. He found a kerosene lamp that was left just inside the door. He lit it. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw as the dim light illuminated the scene. Gibbs apparently lifeless body was dangling from the roof of the shed. Beneath him lay a pool of congealing blood. The horror of what he saw stopped Tony in his tracks. Then instinct kicked in and his first reaction was that he had to cut Gibbs down whether he was alive or dead. He approached him sombrely with that intention. At least he could have some dignity in death he thought. He reached up to release his cuffed hands and that's when he felt his arms. They were warm. Automatically he felt for a pulse and was shocked to find that it was there. He was alive.

"I got you Boss. Just hold on, please Boss," he pleaded as he tried to find a way of cutting the chain. "Don't give up now Boss."

He phoned Ducky using his cell.

"Ducky, I found him. He's in bad shape. I'm in a boat house further down the beach. Bring the car, your bag and my handcuff keys," Tony ordered before dropping his cell phone on the ground and trying to hold Gibbs up and take his weight off his arms. He surveyed the horrific injuries which were all too obvious on Gibbs' tortured torso.

"Oh God, Boss, what have they done to you?"

Within minutes Ducky arrived. He too was incredulous when he witnessed the horror of the scene. He gave Tony the keys for the handcuffs and ran back to the SUV and took a rug from the rear seat.

Tony managed open the handcuffs thus releasing Gibbs from his chains. As he did so Tony tried to hold Gibbs to stop him from hitting the ground. He was heavier than he was prepared for and the suddenness of having to take Gibbs' dead weight caused Tony to drop to the ground still holding him. By the time Ducky returned Tony was kneeling on the ground cradling Gibbs' head and talking softly to him. Tears rolled down Tony's cheeks which led Ducky to momentarily believe that they were too late and that Gibbs had slipped away.

"Help him, Ducky," Tony pleaded his eyes red and full of emotion. Ducky knelt beside the two men. He ran his experienced eyes over his wounded friend. He felt his pulse and pinched the back of his hand.

"He's severely dehydrated," Ducky commented at first glance. He examined the wounds on Gibbs body and his head wounds. He shone a torch into Gibbs eyes. That's when he noticed the yellow tinge to the white of his eyes. Ducky rooted in his medical bag and extracted a bag of saline and an IV kit. "He's jaundiced. It could mean his liver is failing. I need to get fluids into him immediately or he could go into cardiac arrest," he warned as he struggled to find a viable vein in Gibbs' arm. "I can try and stabilise him here but he needs to be in hospital. Pull the SUV right to the door Tony. We'll have to take him ourselves. We can't wait for an ambulance. It'll take too long," he said. Tony agreed and hurried to get the car.

Ducky meanwhile examined the bullet wound in Gibbs side. It was already showing signs of infection but the bleeding had at least stopped. He pressed a gauze to the wound and taped it up. He tried to stabilise the fracture that was so apparent to Jethro's left arm. The bone was practically protruding through the skin. He managed to reduce the break and using a small piece of lumber from the floor of the shed and some bandage, he made a splint and immobilised it.

"You hang in there old friend," he said as he covered the gaping gash in his scalp.

Tony returned and together the two of them managed to man handle Gibbs into the back of the SUV. Ducky covered him with the rug as Gibbs was evidently in shock. Ducky tended to Gibbs from the back seat as Tony drove back to the house. He ran inside and explained to Ziva what was going on. She told him that she had already called for an ambulance to take care of Raul. Tony informed her that Gibbs was in a serious condition and that they couldn't wait. They agreed to leave Estella and her wounded brother alone to wait for the ambulance and to concentrate on getting urgent medical attention for Gibbs. Taking Raul's weapon with them, they hurried back to the car. Ziva was shocked to see the condition of Gibbs as she gt into the car. While Ducky had covered his torso, the visible injuries to his face and head were testament to the horrendous beating that he had taken. She could see the fear in Ducky's eyes as he tried desperately to help his friend.

Tony didn't hang around and set off at speed back to the village of Santa Tomas where Franks lived. Ducky asked Ziva to call Juanita and arrange to have the local doctor waiting for them. He told her what he needed in order to help Gibbs. In the course of their conversation, Juanita informed her that the closest hospital was in Ensenada, where Mike Franks was currently being treated. It was over an hours drive from their village. Ziva turned and looked at Gibbs. She really hoped he would make it that far.

Tony headed north as fast as he could, his only thought being to get Gibbs the help he needed. A short while into their race against time, they were all stunned to hear an agonising groan emanate from Gibbs.

"Oh God, he's coming around," Ducky said reaching for Jethro's hand. He knew once his friend woke he would be in a great amount of pain. Because he couldn't be sure of Gibbs injuries, he couldn't risk administering pain relief because of the risk of internal haemorrhage. Tony craned to see what was going on through the rear view mirror all the while trying to keep his eyes on the road. Ziva turned completely in the passenger seat to see if she could be of any help.

Jethro's eyes opened suddenly and his breathing immediately quickened in response to his awakening senses. With wide eyes he reached to fight off the blurred figure leaning over him. The figure held his arm and stroked his forehead.

_What? What's going on? Let me go. _

"Jethro, it's me, Ducky! Can you hear me, Jethro?"

_Ducky? What's he doing here? I'm hallucinating. It's not real. I'm dreaming__… or I'm going crazy._

"Is he awake?" Tony asked from the front seat.

_DiNozzo? It can't be real. _

"I don't know, Tony. His eyes are open but I don't think he sees me," Ducky noticed, shining a light into Gibbs' eyes. "Jethro, can you hear me?" Ducky asked louder and more deliberate than before.

"Duck?" he said weakly. " …you real?" he asked gasping through the pain.

"We're very real, old boy. You take it easy, Jethro and we'll get you to the hospital. Do you think you can stay awake for me, Jethro? You took quite a nasty blow to the head so I'd be much happier if you could stay awake, okay?" Ducky explained still holding Gibbs uninjured hand.

"It…hurts…" he gasped.

"Where, Jethro?" Ducky asked.

"Head….everywhere," he replied as he panted his breaths. He closed his eyes almost immediately.

"Jethro, I need you to stay awake, talk to me," Ducky pleaded, pressing his knuckle hard into the injured man's sternum. His eyes flickered open in response to Ducky's action.

_Seriously? I just need to sleep._

"Why can't I see you, Duck?" Gibbs managed to ask. Ziva threw a worried look towards Ducky and Tony turned around momentarily. That couldn't be good. Ziva could see the concerned expression on Ducky's face.

"You took a nasty knock to the head, Jethro. You'll be fine," Ducky told him, trying to sound convincing.

"You .. never .. could .. lie," Gibbs said swallowing hard and trying not to move. The pain was getting unbearable. He really didn't want to be awake for this. The pain in his head intensified. It felt as if his skull was being crushed between a vice. Ducky noticed his eyes crease from the pain. He was about to question him about it when Gibbs's body stiffened and he started to shake violently. He was having a seizure. Ducky held his friend and tried to stop him from injuring himself even further. He looked up to see tears streaming down Ziva's face as she knelt on the front passenger seat and watched what was happening. He had never seen her let her guard down and show such open emotion before. After a little over a minute the seizure passed. Ducky looked out the window and was relieved to see that they were approaching the outskirts of Santa Tomas.

As they drove up the main street, Tony saw Juanita standing on the sidewalk under a street light with an older gentleman. She waved them down. Tony stopped right beside them. Ducky got out and spoke hurriedly to the other man whom he presumed to be the doctor. Juanita translated for him. He explained how severely Jethro was injured and how he needed some medical supplies. The doctor looked in the window at the injured man and didn't question anything further. He gave Ducky the saline bags, antibiotics, adrenaline in case of cardiac arrest and anti-convulsant drugs. Ducky shook his hand and thanked him profusely before jumping back in beside his patient.

"Drive, Mr. DiNozzo, quick as you can," Ducky ordered as he withdrew a syringe and prepared to administer the anti-convulsant medication to Jethro. Gibbs had been unconscious since the seizure. Ducky feared that he may have suffered a catastrophic brain injury but didn't want to worry the others just yet. They were already struggling to deal with seeing Gibbs so fragile and helpless.

"Ziva, can you call Abby? Tell her what's happening. Try not to upset her too much, but tell her that we need an Air Ambulance to meet us at the hospital in Ensenada. I want Jethro flown back to the Naval Medical Centre in San Diego," Ducky explained. Ziva immediately called Abby. She answered straight away.

"What kept you guys? I've been worried sick," Abby said scolding Ziva.

Ziva started telling Abby the details of finding Gibbs and explained to her that he needed medical treatment, deliberately leaving out the details of his torture and suspected brain injury. She asked her to try and arrange a Med-Evac to San Diego for him.

"Oh my God, oh my God, he's okay isn't he? Tell me he's okay, Ziva," Abby started chattering and sounding distressed at the thought of Gibbs being injured.

"Abby! Abby!" Ziva interrupted sharply. "He needs your help Abby. You need to hold it together and do this. I don't know how you can organise this, but you need to do it. Do you hear me Abby? We have no time to waste," she said almost harshly.

Abby sobbed down the line and did her best to pull herself together, but this was Gibbs, her Gibbs. She couldn't imagine him ever being hurt, especially when she wasn't there to comfort him. They were so far away. She promised Ziva that come hell or high water, she would have a helicopter waiting to take Gibbs to San Diego. She also knew it was time to come clean with Director Vance. She was going to need his help.

_**Well at least Gibbs is back in the arms of those who love him. Let me know what you guys think. **_


	7. Chapter 7

Abby placed the handset of her office phone back on its cradle and paced her lab, waving her hands around her head, trying to come up with a feasible idea to get Gibbs out of Mexico in a hurry. She drained the remnants of Caf Pow and talked away to herself as she tended to do when she needed to think. Then as suddenly as her pacing started, it stopped. First things first, the Director needed to know what was going on she decided. She marched to the elevator and rode it to the floor on which his office was situated. There was no secretary outside so she marched straight in. Vance was sitting behind his desk, shuffling through files when she entered.

"Ms. Sciuto!" he said looking up in surprise. "I don't often see you up here. What can I do for you?" he asked almost fearing her answer. Abby took a deep cleansing breath.

"Director, I need to arrange for a Medivac to pick Gibbs up from Baja and transport him to San Diego. I will need your approval," she said as if she was only asking for a new stapler.

"Excuse me?" he said getting to his feet and walking around his desk towards her. "A Medivac? What the hell happened to Gibbs? I thought he went on vacation," Vance said his voice raising another octave.

"He did but he ended up in trouble. I don't know the full story but I'm sure Ducky will tell you when he gets back," Abby said looking the picture of innocence.

"Gets back? From where? What's going on Ms. Sciuto? I mean, I know I was out of the office for the last few days but when I left everything was running smoothly. What has changed?" he demanded standing face to face with her.

"Well I really don't have the time to go into the details…" Abby started before she was interrupted.

"You do, Ms. Sciuto, plenty of time. You'd better give me those details, ASAP," he ordered.

"Okay, quick version. Gibbs went to Baja, he and Franks got in an accident, he went missing, Tony, McGee, Ducky and Ziva flew down to look for him, they found him, he's hurt and needs to get to hospital in San Diego….urgently," she told him as briefly as she could.

Vance looked at her in sheer amazement at the speed at which she could verbalise. He shook his head trying to take in what she had just said.

"I know I didn't authorise and op in Mexico!" he said turning and scratching his head.

"Oh, they're not officially there. I mean they're there officially, legally I mean, but not in an official capacity. They're on vacation too…. technically," she smiled awkwardly.

"I don't know what to say. What the hell happened to Gibbs?" Vance asked.

"Hmmm, you know in all the confusion I forgot to ask. I just heard that he was hurt and kinda panicked. Ziva didn't want to upset me. She was deliberately not going into details, I could tell, which now makes me think it's serious. Ducky wouldn't look for an Evac to the Naval Medical Centre if it was just cuts and bruises. That's what scares me, Leon, so you have to authorise this. It's Gibbs," she replied desolately. She bit her lip to try and stem the welling tears.

Vance paused and digested the story he had just heard. He looked at the dejected looking, tearful Goth standing in front of him. He had no choice really. Even without the full details, one of his agents was injured. That was a fact. He had to act on that alone. He gave Abby the go ahead to contact the Naval Medical Centre and request that the Medivac helicopter be ordered into Mexico as required. He would make the diplomatic calls to the Mexican Embassy himself. He had a contact who owed him a favour.

Abby thanked him profusely as she literally ran to the elevator and then turned back to Vance's office. She stuck her head back through the door.

"Oh, I'll be taking some vacation time from tomorrow too," she said and then was quickly on her way again. She didn't even wait for his response. She was going to San Diego, with or without his permission. She hurried back to her lab. She was quickly on the phone going through all the procedures that would have to be followed to pull this off. Flying a military aircraft into Mexican airspace needed all sorts of clearance. Some rules might have to be bent slightly she thought, in order to speed it all up. Not a problem.

-------------------

Back in Baja, Tony was speedily approaching the outskirts of Ensenada. The hospital was only a matter of miles now. He glanced quickly over his shoulder to the back seat.

"How's he doing Duck?" he asked his gut telling him the answer.

"The same, Anthony. His heart is racing, he's tachycardic. How far are we from the hospital?" Ducky enquired.

"How do I know?" Tony snapped, feeling the pressure to get there increasingly more. "There isn't even a signpost."

"Over there!" Ziva pointed out. There was a signpost indicating a hospital. "It says 5 more miles."

Tony looked relieved and calmed slightly. Ducky spoke to Gibbs.

"Did you hear that, Jethro? We're almost there. You hold on for me, do you hear?" he said squeezing Gibbs' hand as if to remind him that he was still there. There was no response from Gibbs, although Ducky wasn't expecting one.

Tony sped through the suburbs of Ensenada, earning the wrath of local drivers as he did so. He ignored rights of way, traffic signals and other motorists. He was getting Gibbs to the hospital and nothing was going to stop him.

"Right, Tony. Right!" Ziva shouted as soon as she spotted the next directional sign. Tony cornered speedily and continued on his way. "Over there," Ziva declared as soon as she spotted the hospital building.

Tony drove the SUV directly into the ambulance bay. Ziva jumped out and ran into the Accident and Emergency Department. She summoned assistance though fluent Spanish. The urgency was understood and a doctor and nurse followed her quickly to the SUV. They brought a gurney with them. Carefully, they extricated Gibbs from the back of the SUV and rushed him into a treatment room. Ducky explained his suspicions of Jethro's injuries to the doctor. One of his major priorities was to get Gibbs re-hydrated or he was potentially facing massive organ failure, his liver was already showing signs of damage. Then Ducky wanted them to take a CT scan of Gibbs head. He was horrified to discover that this particular hospital didn't have a CT machine. The nearest one was in Tijuana. Without one they couldn't determine the cause of Gibbs' seizure or the extent of his head injury. They did take an x-ray of the area and it showed a fracture to the fronto-temporal region of the skull. Ducky was pretty certain that there would be underlying swelling and possibly bleeding with such an injury but without the CT scan he couldn't be sure.

The doctors treated the external injuries that they were equipped to treat. They removed the bullet from Gibbs' hip and took x-rays of the injury site. There was a pelvic fracture as a result of the impact. Broad spectrum antibiotics were also administered to combat the infection that had already taken hold around many of the wound sites. Ducky decided to step back and let the doctors treat him. He, Tony and Ziva watched as they fussed over their new patient. Just as Ducky started to relax a little, panic arose in the treatment area. Orders were being shouted in Spanish, frustrating Ducky because he couldn't understand what they were saying. But he only had to see one doctor start administering chest compressions to understand what had happened. Gibbs was in cardiac arrest. As upset as he was to see this happening it wasn't unexpected. After what Gibbs body had been through he was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. At least they had the medication and the equipment to deal with it here, he thought.

Ziva did understand the language and froze as she tried to digest what was being said. She and Tony watched in dread as the hospital staff fought to save their boss. A large adrenaline filled needle was plunged into Gibbs chest and the cardiac massage was resumed. It wasn't working. They watched as the defibrillator was charged and pads were placed on Gibbs bruised and bloodied chest. They held their breath as Gibbs body shuddered as the electric charge coursed through him. Frantically they willed the flat line on the cardiac monitor to jump but there was nothing. Again they shocked him. Nothing. Again!

Their hearts sank as they watched the medical personnel exchange looks and try to decide whether or not to continue their efforts to restart his heart. A nurse meanwhile continued chest compressions until the final decision was made.

_C'mon Boss. C'mon!_ Tony willed Gibbs to live. Ducky offered a silent prayer to the Lord. This wasn't how Leroy Jethro Gibbs was meant to die. He wasn't prepared to lose his friend. Ziva held the Star of David around her neck and prayed for Gibbs. She couldn't bear the thought of him being taken from her.

The paddles were raised by the doctor as he prepared to administer one more round of defibrillation. Just as he placed the paddles on Gibbs' chest the nearby monitor beeped. It was the most welcome sound Ducky had ever heard. The once continuous flat line was now showing regular peaks. Gibbs was back in sinus rhythm. A broad smile grew across Tony's face.

_There you go Boss_! His relief was palpable. Ziva tried in vain to stifle tears from trickling down her face. The Boss was back. They stood rooted to the spot and watched as the doctors and nurses tried to stabilise Gibbs. As the medical personnel began to relax, Ducky was the first to snap out of his daze. He looked at the young agents whose eyes were still fixed on Gibbs. They looked drained.

"Tony, Ziva, maybe we should let them work," he suggested. He put his hands on one shoulder of each of them and guided them out to the waiting area. As they tried to settle in there, Tony's cell phone rang. It was McGee.

"Hey, Tony. Where are you guys? I just got a weird call from Abby, weirder than usual. She says there's a Medivac helicopter on it's way from San Diego," he told him.

"That's great Probie. The sooner the better," Tony said sounding strange to Tim.

"What's happened Tony?" McGee asked sounding worried.

"We found him, McGee. The bastards tortured him. We almost lost him, McGee. We're downstairs," Tony told him.

"Downstairs? As in here downstairs?" McGee asked.

"Yeah, in the Emergency Department. They're still working on the Boss," Tony clarified.

"Hold on, I'll be right down," McGee said, hanging up the phone.

He paused for a moment on the corridor before returning briefly to Mike Frank's room to tell him.

"Mike, they found Gibbs. He's here in the Emergency Department. It sounds like he's hurt pretty bad. I'm going down there to see what's going on," McGee explained.

"Here, give me a hand," Mike said trying to manoeuvre out of the bed. McGee didn't think it was a good idea for him to be up and about just yet so he refused to help.

"No, Mike. Stay put and I'll come back up and let you know what's happening," McGee insisted. Mike didn't really have a choice. With his leg in plaster he was immobile without crutches or a wheelchair, neither of which were available to him.

McGee hurried to the elevator and took it to the ground floor. There was only a small Emergency Department so it didn't take him long to find his friends waiting anxiously on the corridor outside a treatment room.

"How is he?" McGee asked Ducky.

"He's alive although I don't know how. He's been shot, beaten and stabbed. God knows what he's been through," Ducky informed him, shaking his head.

"Oh my God," McGee responded sounding shocked. "Do you know who did this to him?"

"Tony shot one of them. They claim Gibbs killed their father almost twenty years ago," Ducky whispered.

"And did he?" McGee dared to ask. Solemnly, Ducky sighed and nodded. McGee looked at him in dismay. "I'll explain later."

McGee didn't want to push it. If he wanted him to know, he would tell him, he thought.

"Abby said that the Medivac Helo will be here as soon as possible. She'll call to confirm once they're in the air," he informed the group.

"That's good. I'll let the doctors know," Ducky said returning to the Trauma Room.

"So what happened out there, Tony?" Tim asked.

"It was bad Probie," Tony began to explain. "When I found him he was just hanging there. I thought he was dead." McGee listened intently as Tony and Ziva relayed the rest of the details of Gibbs' rescue. He was horrified to hear the drama that ensued during the rescue and their journey to the hospital. They were almost finished telling him what had happened when the door of the Trauma Room opened and Ducky emerged.

"Jethro is doing much better," he told everyone sounding slightly less stressed. "His vitals have stabilised and the doctor thinks he should be stable enough to travel."

"That's great, Ducky. I presume you'll fly back with Gibbs. I'll have to drive back to San Diego with the rental," Tony said knowing someone would have to do it.

"I'll go with you Tony," McGee offered. Tony nodded in acknowledgement of his offer.

"As will I," Ziva decided. "We will meet you in San Diego."

Ducky and Ziva remained outside the treatment room where Gibbs was being looked after while Tony and McGee went upstairs to see Mike Franks. He was very perturbed to hear the harrowing time that his friend had been through. Despite his shock, he was relieved to hear that Gibbs was being flown back to the U.S for treatment. He knew he would get the best of treatment back home.

"Can you fellas do just one thing for me before you leave?" Franks asked.

"Sure, what is it?" DiNozzo asked feeling sorry for the old guy.

"Take me down to see him," Franks asked. McGee looked at DiNozzo knowing that it probably wasn't a good idea. Regardless, DiNozzo commandeered a wheelchair and the two agents assisted Mike out of the bed and into it. They wheeled him unnoticed by the nurse to the elevator and down to the treatment room. Mike was totally unprepared for what he saw. Gibbs looked deathly pale lying on a treatment table. His silver hair was still stained with blood even though the horrendous scalp wound had been stitched and covered with a bandage. Behind the oxygen mask, his face bore the bruises and scars of the beating he had taken. Thankfully the rest of his battered body was covered by a sheet. McGee wheeled him right up to the table.

"Can he hear me?" Franks asked looking up at the two agents.

"I don't know," DiNozzo replied. "This _is_ Gibbs though, he hears everything."

Mike Franks smiled. Too true, he thought.

"Hey Probie, you really got yourself in a mess this time," he said putting his hand on Gibbs hand. "You're going to be okay though, do you hear me Probie? You're going to be just fine."

Tony watched as the older man openly displayed his affection for his injured friend.

"When are they coming for him?" Mike asked.

"Not sure yet," McGee replied. "Abby's working on it. She'll call once they're on their way."

"I'd like to stay with him until they take him," Franks said, his eyes fixed on Gibbs.

"Sure, once your nurse doesn't come looking for you," Tony said seriously.

Before long, McGee's cell phone rang. It was Abby. The helicopter had just been sanctioned. It should be landing in the next hour. Abby was anxious for an update on Gibbs condition. McGee told her everything he knew.

"What, shot? Stabbed? Oh my God, I knew it was bad. I just knew it. Ziva told me nothing and now I know why. Gibbs, poor Gibbs," she ranted sounding distressed.

"He will be okay Abby. It just might take a while," McGee explained.

"I'm coming to San Diego. I'll see you tomorrow," she said and hung up before Tim had a chance to explain that they were driving back.

_**More to come. Will try and update sooner rather than later.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Recap - Team Gibbs are waiting for helicopter to take their injured leader to San Diego!**

An hour or so later, a call came from hospital administration to tell them that the military air evacuation helicopter had landed on the helipad outside the hospital and was waiting for Agent Gibbs. Carefully the medical staff wheeled the gurney bearing Gibbs out of the treatment room, down the corridor and out of the building. By that time it was dark and they followed a well lit path which led to a helipad, located in the grounds of the hospital. Ducky and the team followed behind. Tony, McGee and Ziva bid Ducky a safe trip as he climbed into the helicopter.

"Look after him, Duck," Tony said giving him a helping hand up into the helicopter.

"I will, Tony. I'll call you when we get there," he offered.

Gibbs was securely fastened on board for his journey. All the while he remained unconscious. The longer he was unconscious, the more concerned Ducky grew. He put on the headset handed to him by one of the aircrew and signalled to the pilot that he was ready. The team stood back as the rotor blades started up and the updraft slowly increased. Dust rose from the take off area and they shielded their eyes as the Medivac helicopter lifted off with its precious cargo. A mixture of emotions surged though them as they watched it take off heading in a northerly direction. They watched until it disappeared from view.

"Okay then Probie, get the rest of your gear. Let's get on the road. We should be there in less than an hour and a half," Tony said enthusiastically.

"Now?" Tim asked surprised by Tony's suggestion.

"What's wrong with now, Probster?" Tony asked sounding patronising.

"I could do with a shower, a decent meal not to mention a good night's sleep," McGee said desperately.

"McGee's right, Tony. It's late. We can leave in the morning. We should find a motel and get a couple of rooms," Ziva suggested. She and McGee looked at Tony with pleading eyes.

"Oh, alright then," he relented. "I could manage some sizzling fajitas about now," he said smacking his lips.

So they agreed to find a place to stay and rest for the night. They could be back in San Diego for breakfast the next morning. They returned inside and McGee went back up to Mike Frank's room to get his bag and laptop. While he was upstairs, Tony and Ziva waited in the waiting room of the emergency room on the ground floor. As they sat there, an ambulancia pulled up and another patient was wheeled in. Behind the patient and medics was someone they recognised. It was Estella Hernandez. It took a moment before she recognised them and her and Tony's eyes locked. He could see that her eyes were brimming with hate. The agent in him wanted to arrest her and her brother on the spot for what they did to Gibbs. There were several difficulties with that though. Firstly he had no jurisdiction in Mexico. Secondly, if he contacted the Mexican Federales about what they had done to Gibbs, then it could mean that Gibbs could be investigated and charged for the murder of Pedro Hernandez all those years ago. Ducky was convinced that Gibbs had killed the man who murdered his family and DiNozzo didn't doubt for a minute that he had exacted his revenge on the perpetrator.

Estella broke her stare and returned her attention to her wounded brother. He was conscious and she leaned down and spoke to him, informing him that the person who shot him was sitting in the hospital waiting area. He too wanted to have DiNozzo arrested on the spot but his position was also compromised. He was a high ranking police officer who had taken the law into his own hands. If that got out he could lose his job or worse. He would have to handle things himself. He could call in a few favours. As he was wheeled into the treatment area, he asked Estella to try and keep an eye on them and if she could, find out what they were driving. She agreed and left Raul in the capable hands of the medical staff. He would have to have surgery on his shoulder to remove the bullet. Despite his pain, the police had asked to interview him before he was taken to surgery. They wanted to find out what he knew about the person who shot him and why. Needless to say, he wasn't going to be truthful about the events of that day. As soon as the local police had interviewed him, he asked if he could make one quick call before being brought down to the operating theatre. As he sat on a gurney, he placed a call to one of the subordinates in his command. This man, Javier Gonzalez, was also his close friend. They had a long history and he knew he could depend on him. As clearly as he could he explained about being shot by an American and asked him to come to Ensenada as soon as he could. Javier agreed without question.

Meanwhile, McGee rejoined Ziva and Tony and they made their way to the SVU in the parking lot. They all climbed in and drove away from the hospital in search of a decent meal and a bed for the night. Unknown to them, Estella was watching and noting the type of vehicle they were driving and making a mental note of the registration as her brother had requested. Gibbs' team found a small hotel close to the centre of town. They checked into two rooms, McGee and DiNozzo taking one and Ziva taking another. Once they were settled in they met up and walked down the street and found an inviting looking restaurant. They enjoyed a fine meal and a few cervezas before they returned to the hotel and retired to their rooms for the night.

* * *

In San Diego, the helicopter carrying Gibbs and Ducky had arrived after a short flight. Gibbs was quickly taken into the hospital and given a full examination. To Ducky's relief he was sent for a CT scan almost straight away. The doctor assigned to Gibbs permitted Ducky to sit in and view the scan as it was being taken. It became obvious from the pictures of Gibbs brain sent to the monitor that Gibbs had suffered a bleed on the brain. There was also notable swelling of the temporal lobe.

"You can see the oedema there," the doctor pointed out but Ducky had already picked up on it. "This area here shows a haematoma. He's going to need surgery to remove the clot and relieve the pressure on his brain," he explained. He didn't need to though. Ducky already knew what his friend was facing.

"How soon can you do it?" Ducky asked worried that the delay in getting him the treatment he needed could have already caused irreversible damage.

"We'll get him prepped immediately. The sooner the better," the doctor replied.

Ducky accompanied the still unconscious Gibbs back to a private hospital room. He sat with him, explaining to him that he was going to need surgery but that he was going to be fine. He talked to Gibbs as if it was only the two of them in the room, despite there being a number of other doctors and nurses all preparing him for his surgery. One was shaving his head in the area where they would be operating, another attaching leads and wires to his chest then canulas into his arm. Soon he was ready to go. Ducky watched with a feeling of helplessness as Gibbs was wheeled away towards the operating theatre. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Ducky made a call.

"Anthony?" he said the minute the phone was answered.

"Ducky! How's the Boss?" DiNozzo asked straight away. McGee sat up in his bed when he realised who was calling and listened in to the conversation.

"They've just taken him to surgery," he said sounding exhausted.

"Surgery? On the gunshot wound?" Tony asked.

"Not exactly, although I'm sure they will clean it up also. Gibbs has a clot on his brain so they have to operate to remove it," Ducky explained in layman's terms. Tony paused allowing what Ducky had said to sink in. "Tony, are you still there?"

"I'm here Ducky. How bad is it?" Tony asked fearing the answer.

"I saw the scan. The bleed was minor as brain bleeds go but there is also significant swelling. Right now that's what concerns me more. You never can give a prognosis until the patient wakes up. When are you getting here?" Ducky asked him.

"We've decided to get some sleep and drive up first thing in the morning," Tony told him.

"Good idea. There's not much you can do here anyway," Ducky said understanding their reasoning. "Get some rest."

"Okay, thanks Ducky. I'll let the others know. Call me when he gets out," Tony said his voice betraying his worry.

"I will, Tony. Goodnight."

Tony hung up and turned to McGee. He told him everything that Ducky had told him. McGee was stunned to hear that Gibbs was having brain surgery. He knew the risks involved. He lay back on his pillow and looked up towards heaven and for the first time in years he prayed. He prayed that Gibbs would survive the surgery and that he would make a full recovery. Gibbs had been a huge influence on his life. He couldn't imagine coming to work and Gibbs not being there. It was different while he was in Mexico when he retired. At least you knew where he was if you needed him. He tried not to think of the worst case scenario. Both agents agreed that there was no need to upset Ziva with the news and that they would leave her to get some sleep. They would tell her in the morning. Both McGee and Tony struggled to find sleep that night. They tossed and turned for ages. McGee was almost asleep when there was a knock on their door.

"Get that, Probie," Tony ordered sleepily.

McGee crawled out of bed and went to the door.

"Who is it?" he called through the closed door.

"Policia!"

McGee shot an alarmed look towards DiNozzo. Tony sat up in the bed and threw his legs out onto the floor. McGee looked through the spy hole in the door to see an official badge being held up. Tony nodded at him to open the door. Just as McGee opened the door, the three men burst in suddenly, weapons drawn. McGee instinctively stepped back and allowed them in. For no apparent reason, the first man who entered drew out and pistol whipped the retreating McGee, dispatching him to the floor with ease. Seeing this, Tony jumped to his feet and tried to defend himself as he was seized by two other guys. They're not wearing uniforms, he noticed as they each grabbed one of his arms and twisted them painfully behind his back. He was defenceless as he stood there wearing nothing but his boxer shorts and a pseudo smile. The first guy who entered, the guy who decked McGee, strolled up to a still struggling DiNozzo. Although he didn't identify himself to the agents, his name was Javier Gonzalez.

"I have a message for you from Raul Hernandez," he smiled wickedly before punching Tony in the gut. The punch left Tony coughing and spluttering and gasping for breath. "He said to tell you that you should not have interfered."

Just as Tony got his breath back, Javier tightened his fists and pounded on him repeatedly. Blows to his abdomen and chest left Tony fighting for every breath and dry retching. With the two guys holding him up, he could do nothing to protect himself from the barrage of thumps that ensued. It was a savage blow to his face that rendered DiNozzo unconscious. Realising that he had passed out, Javier signalled to the two others to drop him, which they did. Their job was done. As the three policemen left the hotel room, Tony and McGee lay bloodied and motionless on the hotel room floor.

Ziva lay in her room next door trying to sleep, thinking of the events of the last twenty four hours. As she lay there she was sure she heard a knock on the door of the boy's room. She wondered who was calling on them so late. It wasn't until she heard an odd sound did she sit up and try and hear what was going on. Her instinct told her something was wrong. She pulled on some pants and hurried to the corridor. She was just in time to see three men leaving the room and closing the door behind them.

"Who are you?" she asked as they walked by her. One of them was putting a pistol into the waistband of his trousers. He smiled a menacing smile at her and ignored her question. Ziva knew better to engage against three men. She was concerned for the safety of her team mates. She rushed to their door but it was locked.

"Tony! McGee! Open the door!" she shouted banging as loudly as she could. There was no answer. She tried using her shoulder. Still no good. By this time one or two of the other guests were peering out their doorways to try and see what was going on. "McGee," she yelled once more.

This time she heard movement on the other side of the door. Although his struggle was invisible to Ziva, McGee had come to and was getting shakily to his feet. He raised his hand up to the back of his head and was met by a moist sticky lump. He looked at the blood on his hand and then remembered what had happened. As he staggered to his feet he saw Tony's beaten from bleeding on the carpet. Then he heard Ziva's panicked yells on the other side of the door. He grappled with the lock momentarily before managing to open the door for her.

"McGee!" she exclaimed seeing the dazed look in her colleagues eyes. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," he said rubbing the lump on his head. "Tony's hurt."

"Oh, God, Tony," she said dropping to her knees beside him. He was lying on his side, blood dripping from his nose onto the floor, bruises already forming on his chest and abdomen. She felt for his pulse. It was racing slightly but strong. "Tony! Come on Tony, wake up," she said coaxing him back to consciousness. She grabbed a pillow from the bed and carefully placed it under his head. She ran to the bathroom and took some towels from the linen stack. She wet one and returned to Tony. She wiped his bloodied and swollen face. Slowly he began to wake up. He moaned audibly as his pain receptors awoke and his brain registered every cut and bruise and ache and pain. Not good, he thought to himself. He tried to sit up.

"No Tony. Stay down for a while. They really did a figure on you," Ziva advised.

_Number_, Tony thought but wasn't going to argue. McGee sat on the edge of one of the beds waiting for the fog to clear from his mind. Ziva gently dabbed Tony's split lip and eyebrow. He flinched every time she touched him.

"I think we should take Tony to the hospital, McGee," Ziva said looking at Tony's bare chest. She tenderly felt along his ribs and he recoiled and yelped when she touched the lower ribs. "I pretty sure he has cracked ribs."

"No, I'm okay," Tony insisted. "Let me just lie here for a while…..get my breath back. I'll be fine," he said adamant that he wasn't going to the hospital. Ziva looked over at McGee who shrugged. They couldn't make him go.

"Okay then, if you insist. I'll go get some ice and a few more towels from my room. Won't be long," she said, leaving the pair briefly.

McGee looked down at Tony who remained lying on his back on the floor.

"Who were they, Tony?" he asked, having missed their attackers introductions.

"Friends of Raul Hernandez," Tony replied. "It appears he's not very happy we interrupted his little torture party."

"Great. How come they had police badges?" McGee asked sounding confused.

"Oh, in all the fuss I forgot to tell you. Raul is a Comandante in the Mexican Police. Doesn't that beat all?" Tony said with a hint of a laugh.

McGee shook his head. Unbelievable! Ziva arrived back with a champagne bucket full of ice and a handful of towels. She handed McGee a towel with plenty of ice in it for the golf ball size lump on his head. Then she knelt back down beside Tony and placed the makeshift ice pack on his eye and cheek bone, both of which were already quite swollen.

"Do you want to move to the bed, Tony?" she eventually asked in an effort to make him more comfortable.

"Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that?" Tony grinned suggestively.

"Tony!" she growled although she was secretly glad that he appeared to be in good spirits despite his ordeal.

"Okay, sorry. I think maybe I should stay right here tonight," he replied, afraid to move too much because of the considerable pain he was in. Ziva stood up and removed the bedding from one of the beds. She covered DiNozzo's semi-naked body with the blankets and left him as he had asked.

"I have some Ibuprofen in my bag," she said slipping back to her room for a moment. She returned with all her stuff and told them that she would stay with them for the night. She wanted to make sure they were okay. McGee could have a concussion so she knew she would have to wake him intermittently during the remainder of the night. She looked down at Tony who was already asleep. She hoped he was alright, she couldn't help but worry. While her two patients slept she watched them for the whole night, barely catching a few minutes sleep here and there. She was dozing early the next morning when she heard Tony shouting at McGee.

"Wake up, McDreamy! I need the bathroom," he hollered. McGee raised his head slightly and dropped it back onto the pillow with a groan.

"I will help you Tony," Ziva offered.

"Eh, no. I can manage," he said trying to raise himself into a seated position. His whole body was wracked in pain. Ziva saw how he paled and struggled just to move ever so slightly. She walked over behind him and took him by the shoulders and slowly and carefully as she could she helped him to his feet. He gripped his tender ribs and stood almost doubled over and tried to breath through the pain.

"Thanks," he said to her feeling a little embarassed. "I can take it from here."

And he did. It took him a while but he managed to make it to the bathroom. He stood and looked in the mirror, barely recognising his own mangled features. He splashed water on his face to try and clear the cobwebs. As he looked at himself his thoughts drifted to Gibbs. He wondered how he was doing. Ducky hadn't called yet? He wondered what time it was. He hobbled back to the bedroom. Ziva met him and handed him his shirt and pants.

"I think we should head back early," she suggested. Tony agreed as he twisted painfully to put on his shirt.

"Here, let me help you," Ziva offered. Surprisingly, Tony allowed her. She pulled the shirt over his broad tanned shoulders and began to button it over his bruised chest. She couldn't help but inhale his masculine scent as she did so. She allowed her eyes to trail up his chest and meet his eyes. They had a moment, a fleeting moment which she broke as soon as she realised what she was doing.

"McGee, help him with his pants," she ordered rousing McGee from his slumber. "I'll get the car ready."

And with that the moment was gone and Tony felt uncertain of what exactly the moment meant. He didn't get subtlety. It was lost on him. He always preferred the direct woman, the woman who showed her hand early in the play. It was easy and so were they. His train of thought was broken by McGee ordering him to sit on the edge of the bed. While he would normally have had a host of smart remarks and suggestive comments to coincide with the sight of McGee on his knees, helping him put on his trousers, he was too distracted by what had just happened with Ziva.

Leaving Tony in deep contemplation on the edge of the bed, still clutching his injured ribs, McGee quickly got dressed himself. He then helped Tony to his feet and the two agents left the hotel room and met with Ziva in the parking lot. She would be driving back to San Diego. It wouldn't be a very long journey and they were all glad for that. The sun was just beginning to peep up over the horizon as they started their journey north.

**_More to come.....u poor things! U really are gluttons for punishment _;)**


	9. Chapter 9

Back at the Naval Medical Centre in San Diego, Ducky was stretched out on a couch in the waiting room on the Neurosurgical floor. He was gently woken by a scrubs clad surgeon, the same surgeon to whom he had spoken prior to Jethro's surgery. Surprised that he had actually fallen asleep, he sat up quickly when the surgeon touched his shoulder.

"Ah, Dr. Walsh! I must have fallen asleep. How is he?" he asked ansiously as he straightened up and composed himself.

"We were successful in removing the clot," he began seriously. "As you are aware there will still be swelling around the injury site but he's doing well considering. He's in recovery right now and from there he'll be transferred to ICU for monitoring."

"Thank goodness," Ducky said with relief, shaking the surgeon's hand.

"While he was under, our orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Kostas pinned the fracture in his arm. I'm sure he'll discuss details with you later. You should go and get some rest Dr. Mallard. Agent Gibbs won't be awake for some time," Dr. Walsh informed him.

"Thank you, Doctor," Ducky replied gratefully. "I would like to see him if I could."

"Of course. Follow me," Dr. Walsh said, leading the way towards the Recovery Suite. He showed Ducky to Gibbs's room.

Ducky entered and felt great relief seeing that Gibbs had made it this far. He looked at his friend lying so still in the hospital bed. It wasn't the first time he had observed Jethro this way, but it was a sight that he would never get used to. Gibbs head was swathed in a heavy bandage. His face bore a multitude of bruises. Another dressing covered the knife wound in his shoulder, his arm was in plaster, resting by his side. Gibbs bare chest exhibited a canvas of multi-coloured bruises while his lower torso was covered with a white sheet from the abdomen down. Ducky couldn't restrain himself and lifted up the patient chart from the bottom of the bed and read the notes. The surgery was pretty straight forward without complications, he noted. References were made to the other injuries suffered by Gibbs. They had highlighted that his liver function was to be monitored as when he was admitted he was showing the first signs of liver failure. His blood alcohol level was still quite high upon admission. Ducky remembered the smell of Tequila from Gibbs clothing and breath and the broken bottle on the floor of the boat shed where they found him. He looked at his friend and couldn't help but wonder what horrors he had been through before they found him.

--------------

Ziva, Tony and McGee, on their way back from Mexico, reached the border within an hour. Despite a few odd looks from Immigration Officers, they crossed back into the United States without incident. It took only twenty minutes to get to the Naval Medical Centre from there. Ziva parked the SUV and McGee assisted a stiff and sore DiNozzo out of the vehicle. They entered the lobby and approached the reception desk. The staff member behind the desk took one look at DiNozzo leaning painfully on the counter and said:

"Oh my goodness, just take a seat and I'll get someone to look after you," she offered kindly.

"Eh, no, I'm not a patient," DiNozzo said trying to smile. "I'm here to see Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He had surgery last night," he informed her.

"Really? You look like you…..I'm sorry. Of course, just one minute," she said deciding it was best not to get into a debate about the state of his face. She checked her admission list for the previous night.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Gibbs is in the Neurosurgery ICU. If you take that elevator to the fourth floor and check in with the ICU nurses station, they'll show you from there," she smiled pitifully. Tony thanked her and painfully straightened his body as best he could and followed Ziva and McGee to the elevator. They followed the receptionists instructions and found the nurses station. As they stood there Ducky walked out of a nearby room and greeted them.

"Good Lord, Anthony. What on earth happened to you?" he asked immediately when he saw the bruises to Tony's facial area.

"Couple of Raul's guys weren't too happy we spoilt his party," Tony said trying to sound up beat. "How's the Boss?"

"He's doing well. Did you see a doctor?" Ducky asked concerned for the young agent.

"I'm fine, Duck," he replied wincing as his tender ribs decided to remind him not to take too deep a breath. Ducky noticed Tony's gasp of pain.

"You sound just like Jethro. Ribs?" Ducky asked. Tony nodded.

"Back downstairs you go, Anthony. You need an x-ray," Ducky insisted.

"Can I just see Gibbs for a moment, then I promise I'll get checked out?" he asked. Ducky relented, knowing how much Tony cared for Gibbs. Ducky showed Tony to Gibbs' room and let him go in alone. Ziva and McGee stayed chatting with Ducky.

"You look exhausted, Ducky," Ziva said attentively.

"I must admit, I am feeling quite tired at the moment," Ducky admitted.

"You go and get some rest. We'll stay with Gibbs until you return," she promised. Ducky didn't need convincing. He had been up all night. A shower, a bed and a change of clothes were just what the doctor ordered.

Inside Gibbs room, Tony was quietly observing Gibbs. He felt slight comfort knowing that Gibbs was a strong, indestructible son of a bitch. He also felt humbled knowing how close they had come to losing him this time. Seeing him so drained, so helpless, upset him. Painfully he lowered himself into the chair positioned near the head of the bed. Although he didn't know the full details of the surgery he was aware of the risks involved in any type of neuro-surgery. The Gibbs that left to vacation in Mexico may not be the same Gibbs who wakes up, if he wakes up. Unconsciously, Tony reached out and placed his hand on Gibbs unplastered arm.

"You're going to be okay, Boss, do you hear me? We're all here for you, no matter what," he said emotionally. He sat there and left his hand resting on Gibbs arm as if to remind him that he wasn't alone. He wasn't sure how long he sat there. It must have only been a matter of minutes though because Ducky stuck his head in the door and coaxed Tony out of the room and escorted him down to the Emergency Room.

Ducky introduced Tony to a rather attractive female doctor, Dr. O'Neill. He couldn't help but smile when Tony so obviously perked up upon meeting her.

"Here he is Dr. O'Neill. Will you please make sure he's looked after? He will tell you that he's fine but it is obvious to the trained eye that he is in some discomfort," Ducky pointed out.

"Don't you worry, Dr. Mallard, he's in good hands," she replied smiling kindly towards her new patient. Tony grinned as best as his swollen face would allow. It wasn't easy to flirt when your cheek was puffed out, your lip split and swollen and one eye half closed.

"See ya later Duck," Tony said trotting after the medical beauty.

Ducky watched as Tony disappeared down the corridor. He really cared for the people he worked with. He had become extremely close to them all, however he did hold a special place in his heart for young DiNozzo. He always brought a smile to his face with his quirks and his antics. And although Jethro pretended to be driven mad by Tony's carry on, Ducky knew that he gained as much enjoyment from his incessant movie references and impressions as he did. Happy in the knowledge that Tony was going to get his injuries checked out Ducky called a taxi from reception and headed for the nearest motel to the hospital.

In the treatment room, Tony was quite willing to strip off his shirt when the good lady doctor requested him to, despite the discomfort of doing so. He sat on the edge of a treatment table and allowed her to examine his ribs. He winced as she pressed his sides gently. She looked up into his puppy dog eyes.

"It looks like you've a couple of cracked ribs, Agent DiNozzo," she said clinically.

"Uh huh," Tony replied. The doctor felt around his eye socket and cheek area as well.

"I'd like to get some x-rays taken if you don't mind. You may also have a cheek fracture," she informed him.

"Sure, Doc, whatever you need," he replied grinning widely.

"I'll arrange that then," she said handing him a hospital gown. "You can get changed and wait here. I'll send someone to take you to X-Ray."

Meanwhile, back in Gibbs room, Ziva was alone sitting quietly watching Gibbs sleep. McGee had decided to check on Tony and see how he was. She leaned her elbows on the edge of his bed and held his hand. She spoke softly to him, telling him among other things how thankful she was to have met him. Their meeting may not have been fate but it had worked out well for both of them. There was an unspoken bond between them. Ziva thought of him as a father, someone to look up to and be proud of. And she hoped that she made him proud too. She did her best to be the best agent she could largely so she wouldn't let him down and wouldn't disappoint him. He had such high expectations but she liked the challenges he posed. She cared greatly for him, maybe even loved him. Hers were emotions rarely displayed or publicised. That was how it would stay. That was how she protected herself.

She sat there for over an hour. Then she heard a bit of a chattering and commotion in the corridor. She was about to investigate when the door to Gibbs room opened and in bounded Ms. Abby Sciuto laden with bags and highly agitated. She had arrived straight from the airport.

"Abby!" Ziva exclaimed in surprised.

"Oh, Ziva," Abby proclaimed rushing her and hugging her tightly. Then she pushed her away just as quickly when she saw Gibbs lying there. "Oh my God, Gibbs! Ziva?" she said turning back to the Mossad Liaison Officer looking for answers.

"He's going to be okay Abby," she said trying to allay the forensic analyst's fears.

"Look at him, Ziva! How can you be sure? I mean this is the Neuro-Surgical ICU. Do you have any idea how much can go wrong during neuro-surgery, how one little mistake can change his life forever? Who did this to him Ziva? What happened down there in Mexico? Tell me!" Abby insisted as she dropped her bags and walked tentatively towards where Gibbs lay. She stood close to him wanting to touch him but afraid to.

"Okay, Abs, but you need to calm down. First things first, the doctors said Gibbs came through the surgery well and they are hopeful of a full recovery. About what happened in Mexico to be honest even I'm not exactly sure," Ziva replied. She went on to tell Abby about Gibbs and Franks being run off the road and then about Estella and Raul Hernandez. As she described how they had found Gibbs hanging from a beam, Abby paled visibly. She took the extra step closer to Gibbs. She placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered, "My poor, poor Gibbs." She leaned down and kissed his cheek softly. "Look what they did to you."

She turned to Ziva and made no attempt to hide the tears in her eyes. She was never one to hide her emotions. They were always out there on display for all to see. That was just who she was. Ziva felt awkward seeing how upset Abby was and knew she should do something. It didn't come natural to her but it was something she was trying to work on. Feeling a little uncomfortable she approached Abby and hugged her.

"He's strong, Abby," she whispered to the sobbing young woman.

------------------

McGee had found Tony in one of the treatment rooms and had waited for him while he had his x-rays taken. He couldn't help but grin when he saw Tony shuffling back into the hospital room, clad in a fetching blue backless gown leaving nothing to the imagination. Tony used his hands to close the gap and attempt to hide his modesty. He caught McGee's little grin and was unimpressed.

"What are you smiling at McGee?" Tony asked crankily.

"Nice threads, Tony," McGee sniggered.

"Well, not everyone can carry it off, Probie, but hey, when you've got it flaunt it, right?" DiNozzo replied smartly.

"Yep, you're certainly flaunting it, Tony," McGee smiled at the sight of his fellow agents backside as he tried to sit back on the bed.

"So, how's the Boss? Any change?" Tony wondered.

"Not really. Do you think he's going to be okay, Tony?"

"I don't know, Probie. I hope so."

After a while Dr. O'Neill returned x-rays in hand. She raised them to the light and inwardly agreed with her initial diagnosis.

"Well, Agent DiNozzo! As I suspected, you have zygomatic fracture. The good news is that there is no displacement so you won't require surgery. You also have three fractured ribs. I'll strap them up for you and prescribe some strong pain killers. I would like you to take things easy for a few weeks. I'll give you some literature on care of your injuries and I trust you will adhere to them," she said seriously.

"Of course I will, Doc, although I may need some follow up care," he said flirting openly.

"Well if you do you should contact your own GP," she said, not falling for his charms.

Tony was left speechless and a little embarrassed, especially when he caught McGee grinning gleefully as he crashed and burned in front of him. Oh, the pleasure, McGee thought. He knew he'd get plenty of mileage out of that one.

Pretty soon Tony was released from the E.R. and he returned back to the I.C.U. He was thrilled to see Abby had made it.

"Hey Abs," he said as he entered Gibbs room.

"Tony!" Abby exclaimed with glee initially hopping out of the chair and rushing towards him. As she got closer to him she spotted the injuries to his face. "Tony?" she said again, the change of tone apparent to all. "Ziva obviously left out the part where you got your face smashed," she said crossly turning to the Mossad Officer. Ziva shrugged apologetically. Abby hugged the bruised senior agent and heard him hiss from the pain of here squeeze.

"Ribs too?" Abby asked having seen the symptoms once or twice before.

"My God, what is it with you guys? I let you go look for Gibbs without me and this is what happens. I can't let you out of my sight for a minute, can I?" she chided.

"Sorry, Abs," Tony apologised.

"Never apologise," she began to correct him.

"I know, it's a sign of weakness," Tony said completing her sentence.

"Okay," Abby said looking around the room at the three exhausted looking agents. "I think it's safe to say that I'm the freshest of those here, so I'll stay with Gibbs while you guys get some rest. I don't want to see you here again until tomorrow morning."

"I don't mind staying," McGee offered.

"No, sleep!" she replied insistent. "Ducky will be back later this evening I'm sure so don't worry about me. I have Gibbs to keep me company," she said turning to their unconscious team leader.

The three bid her farewell and she settled back into the chair beside Gibbs. She looked at him and wished as hard as she could for him to wake up. Ducky did arrive back late that evening. It was around 8pm when he returned. Abby was delighted to see him and he her.

"Abigail, what a surprise," Ducky said kissing her on the cheek. "Where is everyone?"

"I sent them to get some rest," she replied embracing him.

"So how is our patient?" Ducky enquired.

"I was hoping you'd tell me," Abby replied. Ducky wandered to the foot of the bed and took up his chart once again.

"Ah," he said as he read.

"Ah, what?" Abby asked sounding worried.

"Nothing, I mean nothing had changed dramatically since I left this morning. All his vitals are stable. The infection seems to be responding to the antibiotics," he noted. "Jethro's doing well."

"He doesn't look well, Duck," Abby responded despondently.

"I know, Abby. He looks better than when we found him," Ducky replied. Abby's eyes welled up with tears again and her lower lip quivered. She fought hard to maintain her composure. Ducky noticed her distress.

"Why don't you take a break?" he suggested putting a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"I don't suppose you saw a Caf Pow machine as you were coming in?" she smiled weakly.

"Afraid not, dear, but there is a decent coffee house a few door down the block," Ducky informed her. Abby thanked him and took her purse and went for the short walk to the coffee house. Automatically she ordered two, her usual order, one for her and one for Gibbs. She had paid for it by the time she realised what she had done. She left the coffee house armed with two Styrofoam cups of steaming coffee. She looked at the straight black that she had in her hand and started to cry. All the tears that she had been stifling since getting to San Diego just flowed and she let them. She sat down on a nearby bench and released all the built up tension and stress. When she could cry no more, she drank her coffee, composed herself and then returned to the hospital. She had decided that there would be no more tears. She would be strong and positive in order to ensure that Gibbs could receive all her positive energy and use her strength to get him through this. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts!

**_A/N - not much action in this chapter but a little angsty. This chapter and the next are leading up to something...although I haven't decided exactly what yet. _**


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: Thanx again for all of your reviews. This chapter contains a little medical info but just keep in mind that I have no medical experience myself so forgive me if there are inaccuracies. A bit angsty but hope you like it._**

For two days Gibbs team maintained a bedside vigil in rotation, each taking a turn sitting with him as he lay unconscious. On the third day, Ducky was doing his stint, reading a newspaper aloud to Jethro, knowing the importance of keeping his friends brain ticking over. He thought he had noticed something different about Jethro when he entered the room that morning. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was his breathing or maybe his pallor, whatever it was, he felt something had changed. As he sat there reading, Gibbs took a deep breath, unusual enough to get Ducky's attention. Ducky stopped reading and sat up leaning closer to Gibbs. He looked into Gibbs' face and saw his eyelids fluttering.

"Jethro?" Ducky said hopeful that his friend was finally turning a corner. He took Jethro's hand in his. He watched as his colleague battled to surface from the depths of his coma. "Come on Jethro, you can do it," Ducky said trying to entice him forth.

It took several minutes but eventually Gibbs opened his weary eyes.

"Welcome back, Jethro," Ducky said delighted that his friend was finally awake. Gibbs blinked his eyelids several times with purpose. Ducky noticed this but wasn't overly concerned. He was riding a wave of elation and relief.

"You're in hospital, Jethro. You had us worried for a while but you're going to be fine," Ducky said intentionally loud. Gibbs tried to reply but his voice was weak and hoarse. Ducky leaned down closer to try and hear what he was saying.

"Is that you Duck?" he asked faintly.

"Of course it is my old friend. I'm right here," Ducky said standing up and looking into Gibbs eyes. It was then that he noticed that Gibbs wasn't really focusing on him. "Can you see me Jethro?" he asked, trying to mask the concern he was feeling.

" …just …shadows….," Gibbs replied in gasps. "What….what's wrong Duck?"

"Nothing to worry about, Jethro. I'm sure it's just temporary," Ducky said trying to sound confident. "You've just had brain surgery, Jethro. You need time to heal."

Gibbs was too weak to question him or worry any further. His eyes closed and he was quickly pulled back to the awaiting slumber once again. Ducky sat down and mulled over the reason for Jethro's vision problems. He decided to find Gibbs' surgeon and inform him that firstly his patient had woken, albeit briefly, and of the apparent complication.

Dr. Walsh was glad to hear that Gibbs was finally showing improvement but he was concerned to hear what Ducky had to tell him. With Gibbs' type of injury, loss of vision can be a consequence, sometimes a permanent consequence. Until he was fully conscious and they ran some tests, they couldn't be sure if this was the case for Gibbs. They also discussed the possibility that it was just a temporary side effect of the brain swelling and that pressure was affecting his optic nerve. All would be revealed when the necessary tests were run.

Ducky got a cup of tea to go from the cafeteria and returned forlornly to Gibbs' room. As he sat and sipped his tea, he considered what could be ahead of Gibbs. He feared for Jethro's future. He feared for Jethro. He was not a man who handled change well. If his condition was permanent, it would be devastating. He would no longer be able to work as an agent, his whole life would be turned upside down. Ever since losing his family, Jethro had immersed himself in his work. NCIS was his life. Knowing the man as he did, Ducky knew that Gibbs would never accept such an injury and such a change to his life. He was lost in his thoughts when Tony arrived to do his shift. Ducky never even noticed the door opening.

"Are you alright there, Duck?" Tony asked, seeing the redness around the elderly M.E.'s eyes. Ducky took a deep breath before facing Tony. "Has something happened?" Tony asked apprehensively.

"He woke up briefly," Ducky replied and Tony smiled.

"Hey, that's a good thing, right? It means he's getting better isn't he?" Tony asked optimistically. Ducky smiled and nodded unconvincingly.

"What's wrong then? I can tell something's wrong, Duck," Tony said bracing himself for whatever he was about to hear.

"He couldn't see me, Anthony," Ducky blurted out.

"What?"

"It appears his sight has been affected," Ducky clarified.

"What? I don't…... he's blind?" Tony stammered. Ducky nodded in reply. Tony rubbed his stubble and tried to silently digest the shocking news. It was a few minutes before either man spoke again.

"They can fix it, right?" Tony asked hopeful of a positive response.

"I don't know. I spoke to his doctor and until they do some tests, they don't know what they're dealing with. We just have to wait and see," Ducky replied. Tony sighed.

"How did he handle it?" Tony asked.

"Well, I'm not sure he even understood what was going on. He was only briefly conscious. I can't imagine he'll handle it at all well," Ducky said sounding worried.

Tony agreed. They both knew Gibbs well enough to realise that he would be devastated. They also knew that whether he liked it or not, he wouldn't be handling this alone.

Tony told Ducky to head back to the hotel and get some rest. It took some convincing but he managed to persuade Ducky that it would be okay. Ducky's greatest fear was that Gibbs would wake again and that he would be very distressed. Tony promised him that if he woke again, he would call him straight away. Ducky left and Tony took up position on the visitor's chair. He turned on the t.v. keeping the volume low. He was in his element because a Magnum P.I. double bill was being shown on one of the channels. He sat back and watched Tom Selleck racing around Hawaii in the red Ferrari and dreamed that he was in fact Thomas Magnum. By the second episode, he had becomes so wrapped up in the show that he failed to notice that Gibbs eyes had opened once again.

Gibbs became aware of the sounds pummelling his newly awakened brain. The regular beep of the heart monitor, he recognised. But there was also music coming from somewhere, somehow it didn't fit this scenario he thought. He opened his eyes but all that he could make out was light and dark patches in his field of vision. It was as if someone had pulled a veil over his eyes. He closed his eyes tightly and then re-opened them, trying to clear it but to no avail. In fact the repeated blinking only served to cause his head to ache. He feebly raised his uninjured hand to his eyes to rub them and see if that would help. It was this movement that make Tony realise that Gibbs was awake. He almost fell off the chair in surprise.

"Boss! You're awake," he said jumping to his feet and moving towards the bed.

"DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, Boss. Over here," Tony said, turning down the volume of the t.v. as he did so.

"My eyes, they're…..," he said not really sure what was wrong.

"I know Boss. Ducky said it's probably because of the swelling after your surgery," Tony informed him.

"So it'll get better?" Gibbs asked. Tony hesitated before responding.

"Yeah, it'll get better," he replied, however, his hesitation was not lost on Gibbs.

"So, how did I get here, DiNozzo and where is here?" he asked before starting to cough. Tony raised a glass of water to his lips and Gibbs gratefully sipped.

"Do you want the long or the short version?" Tony asked.

"What do you think?" Gibbs replied. Brief and to the point was how he liked things so that was what Tony gave him.

"I don't remember very much about it," Gibbs told him.

"It's just as well," Tony replied.

"What about Mike? Is he okay?" Gibbs asked shifting painfully in the bed.

"Mike? Yeah, he's okay. Busted his leg when you crashed the truck but he'll be fine," Tony told him. Gibbs closed his eyes and held them closed for several seconds, letting a stabbing headache pass. Tony noticed it and couldn't help but feel his pain.

"Are you okay Boss?" he asked meekly, slightly afraid of Gibbs.

"What do you think?" he replied intending for it to be cutting but barely managing a slurred whisper.

"Of course you're not. I'll get someone," Tony said almost running for the door, glad to get out of Gibbs' firing line. He got a nurse to page Dr. Walsh and he waited until the doctor turned up.

"Hey, Doc. Gibbs is awake and I think he's in pain," Tony told him as they walked back towards the room. Gibbs was still awake when they entered. He turned towards the sound and strained to see who it was. All he could see were two dark shadows.

"Welcome back, Agent Gibbs. I'm Dr. Walsh, I carried out your surgery," he said approaching Gibbs bed. Gibbs nodded but remained silent. "I believe you're in some pain. We can sort that out pretty easily. I can write up some meds for you now that you're awake," he said taking Gibbs wrist in his hand and checking his pulse. He checked the monitors also. Everything appeared well.

"You're doing surprisingly well, Agent Gibbs. Your wounds are healing nicely, you could be out of here in another week or ten days," Dr. Walsh said optimistically.

"What about my sight?" Gibbs asked directly. "Will I get it back?" he asked sounding apprehensive. The doctor considered his response carefully before replying.

"We are hopeful that it is just a symptom of the head injury you sustained and the associated swelling. We will arrange for you to undergo another scan now that you are awake and we can see exactly where the problem lies. Then we can work on treating it," he replied.

"That's just a maybe then?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes it is. Right now you need to rest and let your body heal. Let's get you back on your feet first, okay?" the doctor said trying to encourage his patient. Gibbs didn't look very encouraged, Tony noticed. When the doctor left the room, there was an air of awkward silence. Tony wanted to tell Gibbs that everything would be alright but he knew Gibbs wouldn't appreciate the sentiment. Gibbs turned his head away from where he knew Tony was standing. He wanted to be left alone. Tony sensed it so he made up and excuse about going for something to eat and left him alone.

Gibbs sighed deeply once he knew Tony had left. Physically he felt dreadful. A constant ache throbbed in his head. He decided to give himself the once over and take stock of his injuries. He felt tightness in his shoulder and it stirred memories of Estella digging the knife into his flesh. As he shifted slightly in the bed to get more comfortable, he became more aware of the injury to his hip. Try as he could, he couldn't remember how that injury had been inflicted. He felt around the site of the pain with his good arm and found a dressing covering an area in his abdomen near his hip bone. Just breathing reminded him of his bruised ribs. He didn't even try and move his broken arm, remembering the excruciating pain of that all too well. He was relieved that the pain had dissipated since then.

He opened his eyes and stared towards the light source in the room. He concentrated extremely hard and willed his vision to return but he was left disappointed. He thumped the mattress in frustration. This couldn't be happening to him. He needed his sight. Hell, he used to be a sniper. Clarity of vision was imperative. He knew he could kiss goodbye to his NCIS career if his sight remained this way. If he lost his career, it would also mean losing another family to him, his NCIS family. They all had their own lives and careers to think about. He couldn't expect them to be there for him forever. His muddled and overwrought mind went to some dark places after that. He tried to snap out of it and decided he didn't want to think about all that. He didn't want to think, period! He was too exhausted. He closed his eyes and drifted off into an uneasy slumber.

Unfortunately for Gibbs, his sleep was haunted by the trauma of the ordeal he had been subjected to. In his dreams, Estella was after him armed with the long bladed knife that she had used on him in the boat house. He was shouting for help and the first to come to his aid was Tony. Estella wooed Tony with her charms and stunning good looks and once he was under her spell she kissed him softly on the lips and then plunged the knife into his heart all the while grinning at a horrified Gibbs. Gibbs cried out as he watched Tony stagger and collapse. It was then that Gibbs was woken by a gentle hand on his forehead. As he woke he realised that his breathing was rapid and ragged. A gentle female voice spoke to him.

"Gibbs, it's okay. You're safe," she said stroking his forehead. It took him a few seconds to recognise the voice and to realise who it was. It was Ziva.

"Ziva, where's Tony?" Gibbs asked with urgency, the perspiration evident on his brow.

"He's back at the hotel probably stuffing his face with pizza as we speak," she laughed. "I think you were having a nightmare."

Gibbs nodded in agreement allowing his breathing to normalise. Ziva remained at the head of the bed although she had removed her hand from his forehead, not wanting to embarrass either him or her. He asked her to raise the bed so that he could sit up. She did so slowly and delicately, careful not to cause him any discomfort.

"Thanks," he said appreciatively.

"Can I get you some water?" Ziva asked, noticing how he licked his dry lips. She brought a cup with a straw to his mouth. He gratefully accepted and then relaxed back into his pillows.

"Were you in Mexico too?" Gibbs asked, having no recollection of his rescue.

"Yes," she replied.

"I need to know what happened when you found me," Gibbs said, making it more of an order than a request. He was hoping she would help him fill in the blanks. Ziva considered whether he was well enough to hear the details but she knew that he'd find out one way or another. So she began to tell him about getting the call from Mike Franks and their mini investigation that led them to the beach house belonging to Estella Hernandez. A shiver ran down Gibbs spine at the mention of her name. She told him about Tony shooting her brother, Raul.

"Is he dead?" Gibbs asked not sure if he wanted him to be dead or not.

"No, he was wounded in the shoulder but I'm sure he's fine," she replied. Gibbs mind started to wander once he realised that Raul was still alive, as was Estella. His gut told him this saga wasn't over. During his torture he witnessed the hatred they held for him in their eyes. He knew Raul would never take the legal route and try and have Gibbs prosecuted for the murder of his father. There was no way Raul could ever prove that it was him. Gibbs had thought that chapter in his life was closed a long time ago but now it had been opened up again. It's true your past always catches up with you.

"Gibbs? Are you okay?" Ziva asked having noticed that she had been talking to herself for the last few minutes.

"Huh?

"You kinda zoned out there," she said in explanation.

"Sorry," he said rubbing his temple. "Guess my concentration is a bit shot as well."

"That's okay. You should be resting. Abby will be here in a few hours so you should probably sleep now. She will be pretty mad if you're asleep when she gets here," Ziva told him. Gibbs smiled at the thought of Abby coming to visit.

"Ziva, you don't need to stay. I'm fine," Gibbs told her as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"I know you are, Gibbs, but I'll be here if you need anything, okay?" she said not giving in.

"Okay," he said, his eyes already closed.

Ziva watched as Gibbs face relaxed and the tension left his body. He looked so vulnerable lying there. The superhero she had sometimes imagined him to be seemed to be a long way away at that moment. His bruises were turning an unsightly shade of yellow she noticed. He really was lucky to be alive she thought. Then her thoughts turned to the "what ifs". What if they hadn't found him? What if his sight never returned? What if he had to leave NCIS? What if?

Ziva remained with Gibbs while he slept. He was still asleep when Abby arrived. Ziva told Abby that he was waking up more frequently but that he still had gaps in his memory from his ordeal. Abby thanked her and eagerly took up station at Gibbs side. She was there for about an hour when he began to wake. She sat up and held her breath in eager anticipation. She hadn't seen him awake since she arrived from Washington. He opened his eyes and turned his head and looked right at her, but didn't see her. He turned his head away. She felt so disappointed that he didn't notice her there but quickly remembered that his vision was impaired.

"Gibbs! I'm here," she said standing up and leaning over to hug him.

"Abs?" Gibbs said as she gently embraced him.

"Of course it's me. I've been so worried about you," she said, still hugging him.

"Abs, you can let go," he said as she started to crush him.

"Oh, sorry Gibbs. I'm just so glad that you're alright," she said apologetically. "You are alright, aren't you?"

"I'm fine Abs," Gibbs replied.

"Enough of the 'I'm fine Abs', Gibbs," she said imitating him. "I want the truth. You don't look fine and you can't see me, so you're not fine, in fact fine is no where near where you are right now. So try again!" she ordered not falling for his standard reply.

Gibbs said nothing. He couldn't answer her because he wasn't sure how he was. He was scared but he didn't want her to know that.

"Well if you're not going to tell me, then I'll tell you," Abby said. "You have a head injury so you're probably tired, confused, in pain and scared." She had hit the nail on the head. "So am I close?"

Gibbs nodded and momentarily dropped his guard and Abby noticed tears welling in his eyes. She had never seen Gibbs upset before. So unexpected that it was, it threw her and she wasn't sure how to react. But as ever, her instincts were pure and as he bit his lip to hold back his emotion, she took hold of his hand in hers. And with her other hand she wiped away the sole tear that escaped onto his cheek. She then leaned in and kissed the same cheek and held him once again. This time he didn't fight or complain. Despite his physical pain, she was tending to his emotional pain and it felt good. She was the only person with whom he felt comfortable enough to be human in front of. It wasn't that he deliberately let his guard down around Abby. It was more that she could see right through him, always could. She sat on the edge of his bed, threw her legs up beside him and put her arm around his neck and he rested his head in the crook of her arm. They remained that way, Abby stroking his head every now and again offering comfort without unnecessary words. Feeling secure and safe, Gibbs once again slept. When she realised that Gibbs was asleep, Abby decided not to wake him so made her self as comfortable as she could and eventually dozed off alongside him.

**_A/N - decided to end this chapter here because it would run ridiculously long if I kept going. One, possibly two more chapters left. Reviews keep me going. Thanx again!_**


	11. Chapter 11

Physically Gibbs started showing signs of improvement over the next week. The doctors remarked at how well he had bounced back considering how ill he had been when he was admitted. His liver function was practically normal. The wounds that had been infected were starting to heal. His headaches lessened and he was eventually allowed out of bed, even if it was just to be pushed along the corridor in a wheelchair. The doctors were insistent that he didn't put any stress on the fracture to his hip, even though it was a relatively minor fracture as pelvic fractures go. He was improving every day with the exception of one thing, his sight. The CT scan showed that there was still some swelling in the temporal area but nothing significant. They were baffled as to why Gibbs' vision problems persisted.

Ducky couldn't help being concerned for his friend despite his apparent improvement. He had noticed how withdrawn Jethro had become over the last few days. Gibbs wasn't exactly the most talkative person at the best of times but now he was convinced that Jethro would rather everyone would just leave him alone. He had barely spoken to anyone about what had happened to him in spite of Ducky's insistence that he needed to deal with the emotional and psychological fallout of his trauma. He might as well have been talking to the wall. Jethro had grunted something along the lines of "I'm fine, Duck" and then rolled over and pretended to be trying to sleep. No one seemed to be able to get through to him.

Tony, McGee and Ziva came to visit Gibbs one morning soon after. They came to tell him that Vance had ordered them back to D.C. Much as they hated leaving him, the Director had made it clear that they didn't really have a choice. Gibbs sat and listened to Tony prattle on about not wanting to leave and how he would have to be team leader until Gibbs returned. Ziva was the observant one who noticed how Gibbs appeared to be in some discomfort and was massaging his temples trying to reduce the pain in his head. She elbowed Tony in the gut to shut him up and to get his attention.

"Gibbs? Are you okay?" Ziva asked, feeling sorry for him.

"It just won't go away this morning," he said frowning and shielding his eyes from the light. Migraines were a regular occurrence since his surgery but this one was particularly bad.

"I'll get someone," Tony said, hating to see Gibbs worn down from the pain. He returned quickly with a nurse who asked Gibbs to describe the pain.

"Bad," was the most she could get out of him. She paged the on call doctor who prescribed a higher dose of pain killers. He shone a light into Gibbs eyes and Gibbs flinched and turned away from the light as he did so.

"This is a good sign Agent Gibbs," he said after seeing his reaction to the light. "I don't want to get your hopes up but I think things are looking up."

"Heh hey, I told you it would all work out," Tony said getting his hopes raised immediately. Gibbs on the other hand was not allowing himself a flicker of hope.

"Hadn't you two better get going?" Gibbs said a little coldly.

"We've got time," Tony replied not taking the hint. Ziva again nudged him.

"Actually, we should allow for traffic, Tony," she said to him.

"Okay then Boss. We'll see you in a week or so. Ducky's arranging for you to be transferred to Bethesda," Tony said bidding Gibbs goodbye. Ziva and McGee said their farewells. Gibbs just nodded in acknowledgement. He heard the door close and was kind of glad they were gone. He didn't feel like company. He was sick of good intentioned people telling him that everything would be okay. He was sick of this hospital. He just wanted to get back to his own home and back to his life.

As each day passed he grew more frustrated and angry. Even though Raul and Estella had failed in their attempt to kill him, they might as well have, he thought. They had robbed him of his life. He was angry at them but he was also furious with himself. If he hadn't let Mike get him so drunk, he wouldn't have run off at the mouth about things that he had never before spoken of. How could he have been so stupid? It was his own fault he was in this mess. There was no one else to blame. He wallowed in self recrimination and sank into a depression.

The next day Ducky arrived with good news.

"Well, Jethro, I've secured a transfer for you to Bethesda for the day after tomorrow. I bet you'll be glad to get back home," Ducky said in an upbeat mood.

"Bethesda's not home, Duck," Gibbs replied.

"I know, Jethro but you do need some physical therapy. After that you will be able to go home," he explained.

"To what Duck? What am I going to do?" Gibbs asked a note of resignation in his voice.

"You're not giving up on me, are you Jethro?" Ducky said getting a little annoyed by Gibbs attitude. "If you didn't have a skull fracture, I'd head slap you myself!"

The notion of Ducky giving him a slap to the back of his head made Gibbs chuckle.

"That's better. Now snap out of it. Your sight is already showing improvement. I am confident that it will return and until we are told otherwise, I do not want you thinking anything else. Do you hear me?" Ducky said crossly. Gibbs was a little stunned. There weren't too many people who would dare speak to him like that.

"Yes, Doc," Gibbs said, slightly mocking.

"Good, now come on. We're going out for some air," Ducky said reaching for the wheelchair behind the door. Gibbs didn't appear too eager. "Out you get! Do you really want to push me, Jethro?" Ducky said quite seriously. Gibbs knew by the sound of his voice that he was not kidding so he threw back his bed sheets and with Ducky's help swung his legs painfully out onto the ground. Ducky helped him put on a robe before he lowered him into the wheelchair. Ducky wheeled his old friend down to the ground floor and out into the California sunshine. Gibbs creased his forehead and tried to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight. Ducky produced his sunglasses and handed them to Gibbs. Gibbs waved them away.

"No, Duck," Gibbs said straining his eyes and looking around the grounds of the hospital.

"What is it, Jethro?" Ducky asked, noticing the concentration on Gibbs face. Then a smile broke though his stony façade.

"Green," Gibbs replied.

"Green?" Ducky asked confused.

"Yeah, Duck. I can see green, trees or bushes I think. Pretty blurry though," he replied his mood uplifted.

"Really? That's great. You see, I told you they were getting better. Can you see anything else?" Ducky asked.

"It's like one shape runs into another," Gibbs replied shaking his head.

"Don't worry. It'll come right," Ducky told him confidently.

* * *

Two days later, Gibbs, Abby and Ducky were on a flight to D.C. By then Gibbs was able to see shapes a little more clearly although he still couldn't make out details or facial features. He was still suffering from migraines but they seemed to diminish in pain each time. Once they landed in Washington, he was transferred by ambulance to Bethesda.

One of the first visitors he received when he settled in was Director Vance.

"Hello, Agent Gibbs," Vance said as he entered Gibbs' room.

"Director," Gibbs replied surprised that he was there.

"You look good," Vance said.

"You're kidding right?" Gibbs replied.

"Well you look better than I imagined," he said honestly.

"What? Tony been painting a pretty picture has he?" Gibbs laughed.

"Sort of. So, do you feel like telling me what the hell happened in Mexico?" Leon asked.

"Depends. What have you heard?" Gibbs responded.

"Well, I have a feeling I got the edited version from DiNozzo," he said sitting down. Gibbs smiled. Tony was obviously trying to protect him again.

"If it was in Tony's report then that's how it happened, Director. My memory's still fuzzy," Gibbs lied. Leon knew he was conveniently omitting the details. He didn't really care. He just hoped that whatever Gibbs had gotten himself into it was now finished. He didn't like the unexpected.

"Good then," Vance said. "So how long will you be in here?"

"Not sure, maybe another month. They say I'll be up and about using a crutch by then. The rest depends on my eyesight," Gibbs told him.

"Any improvement?" Vance asked.

"Some," Gibbs replied not wanting to go into the details.

"Well, I've got to get back. I'm expecting a call from the SecNav in an hour. Jackie sends her love by the way," Vance informed him.

"Tell her I said hi," Gibbs smiled.

"Take care of your self, Agent Gibbs," Vance said, sounding genuine.

* * *

The month passed quickly which surprised Gibbs. He underwent daily physical therapy and was now managing to get around on one crutch without too much discomfort. His eyesight had steadily improved and it was almost back to normal. His daily migraines had become weekly migraines and with medication they were becoming bearable.

It was now the day he was being sent home and he couldn't wait. He had his bags packed from the night before. Tony was coming to pick him up and take him home. He would still have to attend outpatient physical therapy for another few months but he didn't mind too much.

Tony bounced into his room with way too much energy for Gibbs liking.

"How many coffees this morning, Tony?" he asked.

"What? Hah, very funny Boss," Tony smiled. "So, are you all set?

"As ready as I'll ever be," Gibbs replied.

"I've got your bags," Tony said throwing a carry all over his shoulder. "Can you manage?"

Gibbs sent Tony a steely glare. Tony got the message. He held the door as Gibbs walked out with the aid of his crutch. Tony followed closely behind in case he was needed. They reached the car and Tony helped Gibbs into the passenger seat. The journey was slow as traffic was heavy. Gibbs shifted from one side to the other several times during the drive. By the time they got to his house, he was relieved.

They pulled up and Tony was quickly out of the car and around to open the door for Gibbs. Stiffly Gibbs pulled himself to his feet. He looked around and felt glad to be back in his familiar surroundings. As he scanned the neighbourhood, he stopped suddenly as he thought he saw a familiar figure watching him from a distance. He turned back to confirm who he had seen but she was gone. Tony was up at the front door and looked back to see Gibbs still at the car looking a little shaken.

"Are you okay, Boss?" he asked with concern. Gibbs didn't answer. He continued to stare over at where he had seen her. Tony wondered what he was looking at. He put down the bags and returned to Gibbs side.

"Boss?" he said again.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's nothing, really," Gibbs insisted, sounding unconvincing.

"Come on," Tony said, closing the car door.

Tony opened the front door using Gibbs' key. Unusually, after they entered, Gibbs turned back and locked the door behind him. Tony noticed this but tried not to read too much into it. Gibbs looked around his living room. It was the tidiest it had ever been. Tony saw his reaction.

"Abby," Tony said answering his unasked question.

Gibbs smiled, appreciating her efforts.

"So, are you hungry?" Tony asked as he watched Gibbs hobble to the window and check outside. Unable to conceal his curiosity any more he decided to ask outright.

"Who are you looking for, Boss?"

"I just thought I saw someone I knew, that's all. My eyes are still playing tricks on me," he replied, sitting down gently onto his sofa. Tony watched him eventually relax and reach for the t.v. remote. Tony made coffee and brought Gibbs out a cup. He sat with him drinking a cup himself.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to the office?" Gibbs said to him once he'd finished his cup. "I don't need a babysitter."

"I know that Boss. I just thought you'd like some company," Tony replied. Gibbs didn't agree or disagree, just nodded slightly.

"I do have to get going though Boss. Vance is looking for a few reports and I don't want him on my back," Tony explained. Gibbs smiled. He knew how much Tony hated paper work. "You won't be alone for long though, Abby will be home by 6pm."

"Home?" Gibbs asked a little confused.

"Yeah, she's moved into your spare bedroom until you're back on your feet," Tony informed him with a large grin on his face. He knew Gibbs would not be impressed having his space invaded.

"You're kidding me, right DiNozzo?" Gibbs said in disbelief.

"Nope," Tony replied. "Have fun!" he said as he gathered up his jacket and made a hasty retreat.

A couple of hours later, Abby parked outside Gibbs' house and tried to let her self in. The door was locked which really surprised her. She knocked loudly. She could hear movement inside and soon Gibbs opened the door.

"Gibbs! What's with the locked door?" Abby asked knowing that Gibbs always left the door on the latch.

"Em, security," he replied not elaborating any further. Abby didn't think too much about it. She carried in a bag of groceries and set them down in the kitchen.

"Ok, Roomie," she said bouncing into the living room. "Hope you're hungry. I bought loads."

"Abs, you know you don't need to stay with me. I can manage, you know," Gibbs said.

"I know that Gibbs. I want to be here," she replied. "Oh," she said realising what he meant. "You don't want me here?" she said sounding hurt. Gibbs didn't want to upset her. He really did appreciate what they were all doing for him.

"No, Abs. Of course I want you here. I just don't like a fuss, you know that," he said standing up and grabbing his crutch. He walked over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "So, what's for dinner?"

Immediately Abby perked up and returned to the kitchen, telling Gibbs it was a surprise. He sat back down and accepted that he had a house guest for a while whether he liked it or not.

Unknown to either of them, a woman was watching from behind a tree across the road. She wondered if the woman was Gibbs' girlfriend or his daughter. Whoever she was, she could use her to her own advantage. She just had to wait for the right moment.

**_A/N - There's just one more chapter to come. Thanks for all your comments. Very much appreciated. _**


	12. Chapter 12

Gibbs found it strange having a guest to stay the night in his house. It had been a long time since he had company. Abby was fussing over him, despite his pleas for her not to. She was mothering him and smothering him. He questioned how much of her attention he could handle. He decided to give it a few days and see how it worked out, especially knowing that her heart was in the right place. That night Gibbs hardly slept. The sultry Estella Hernandez was haunting his dreams. He wondered how long he would be troubled by her. He recalled seeing her outside his house. He still wasn't convinced she was in his imagination. He wondered if Ducky was right, maybe he should be talking to someone?

The next morning Abby was getting ready to go to work. She knocked on his bedroom door and stuck her head in.

"Morning, Gibbs!" she said cheerfully.

"Morning Abs," Gibbs replied from under the duvet.

"I've brought you some coffee," she said, putting a large mug on the locker beside his bed.

"Thanks," he said rolling over and trying to wake.

"I'm off to work. I'll call later to check on you. Do you need anything before I go?" she asked considerately.

"No, you go on. I'll be fine," he said sitting up.

"Okay then. Call me if you need anything. And promise me you'll stay out of the basement. You're supposed to be taking it easy," she said sounding very motherly.

"Yes, Mom," Gibbs said deliberately sounding childish. Abby smiled broadly as she leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"See you tonight," she said as she set off for NCIS headquarters.

---------------

Later that day the team were busy at work on a case. Tony was capably handling the investigation into the death of a Marine Sergeant found dead in Norfolk. They had just come back from the crime scene. Ducky had possession of the body and was preparing to carry out the autopsy. Tony was upstairs briefing Director Vance. Ziva and McGee were in the bullpen looking into the Marine's background. They were busy at their desks when the elevator door opened. They couldn't believe their eyes when Gibbs limped into the bullpen, leaning heavily on his crutch.

"Boss, what are you doing here?" McGee asked in complete astonishment.

"I was looking for Ducky actually," Gibbs replied. "But I thought I'd check up on you guys while I was here," he smiled. McGee found it a little off putting, Gibbs doesn't smile.

"He's probably out back unloading the truck with Palmer. We've just got back," McGee told him.

"You caught a case?" Gibbs asked his interest pricked.

"Yeah, dead Marine. Looks like foul play," McGee told him.

"Where's DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked looking around for him.

"With the Director," Ziva informed him.

"I'll leave you to it then," Gibbs said walking back to the elevator. "I'll wait for Ducky in autopsy."

With that Gibbs slowly limped back to the elevator. All eyes in the office turned and watched him. They all knew him and had heard what had happened to him. His arm in plaster although he had ditched the sling and the scar on the side of his head as very noticeable. It left no question to those who saw him that he was lucky to be alive. He took the elevator down to autopsy and when the door slid open he hobbled inside. Ducky and Palmer turned around at the sound of the sliding door and they were flabbergasted to see who was standing there.

"Jethro? What on earth are you doing here?" Ducky said hurrying over to him. He wheeled his office chair from beside his desk and pushed it behind Gibbs and helped him to sit into it.

"I was hoping to have a word," Gibbs said awkwardly. Gibbs didn't usually want a word with anyone unless there was something up.

"Mr. Palmer, why don't you take your break?" Ducky suggested. Jimmy didn't argue. He quickly made himself scarce.

"What can I do for you Jethro? Are you in pain?" he asked a little worried.

"No, I'm fine. It's just….I'm not sleeping," Gibbs said finding it more than a little uncomfortable talking about personal stuff.

"That's not unusual, especially after what you've been though," Ducky said reassuringly.

"I keep seeing her," Gibbs said mortified.

"Well, she was one of the people who tortured you. Of course you'll dream about her," Ducky told him.

"It's not just in my dreams Duck. I saw her outside my house yesterday and on the way here this morning. I think I'm losing it, Duck," Gibbs admitted. Ducky wasn't sure what to make of his admission. He was greatly worried for his friend.

"I know you don't want to but you really need to attend counselling, Jethro. You need to deal with the psychological fallout of what happened to you. You're not losing it, you're traumatised," Ducky told him in no uncertain terms. "There is no shame in that, Jethro. They almost killed you."

"I know, Duck. I thought if I talked to you….." Gibbs began before trailing off.

"I can recommend someone, of course. I'll even take you but you really need to see a suitably qualified therapist," Ducky insisted.

"Okay," Gibbs replied with a deep sigh, hating the idea but knowing it was necessary.

"I'll make the appointment for you," Ducky said kindly putting his hand on Gibbs' shoulder. "Now, you look beat. Do you need a ride home?"

"I'll get a cab. I can see you've got your hands full," Gibbs said looking over at the body bag lying on the autopsy table.

"If you're sure? I'll have DiNozzo down pressuring me for results before I know it. He's doing well, Jethro. You'd be proud of him," Ducky informed him.

"Always am, Duck," Gibbs replied as he struggled to his feet. He limped back to the elevator and took it back to the office area. He asked McGee to phone a cab for him. While he waited, Abby bounded into the bullpen, waving her finger at him like an old fashioned school teacher.

"I thought I told you to take it easy. What are you doing here?" Abby demanded crossly. Ziva and McGee were stunned by the way she spoke to Gibbs, and even more stunned when he apologised to her.

"Sorry Abs. Just got bored," Gibbs replied not wanting everyone to know the real reason he was there.

"I'll 'just got bored' you!!" she snapped. "You get yourself home or you'll have me to deal with," she ordered.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Gibbs said not wanting to get on the wrong side of Abby. He bid the team goodbye and caught his cab home. He spent the rest of the day lounging around, watching t.v. and doing some of his exercises given to him by his physical therapist.

------------------

It was close to 7.30 pm when Abby arrived back at Gibbs house. As she was getting out of her car, a woman walked up to her and greeted her.

"Hello, I'm Maria from across the road. I heard Jethro was hurt at work so I baked this for him," she said holding up a pecan pie in front of her.

"Oh, how thoughtful," Abby said. "He's inside and probably totally fed up. Why don't you come in and say hi?"

"Oh, I don't want to intrude," she said convincingly.

"No, you must. He'll want to thank you," Abby said walking up the step to the front door. Maria followed her. Abby let herself in and invited Maria in.

"Gibbs, I'm home. You're neighbour called in to see how you are," Abby called. There was no reply. "I'm sorry. I've no idea where he is. Gibbs!"

"Yeah," Gibbs voice came from the basement.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs! I thought I told you to stay out of the basement," Abby said peering down the stairs. "Come up here and don't be rude."

Gibbs slowly hauled himself up the stairs and was met by Abby standing with her arms folded reminding him of one or two of his ex-wives.

"Are you trying to kill yourself? What if you fell down those stairs and I wasn't here?" she said unimpressed with him. Gibbs attention was no longer on Abby. He had just noticed the woman standing in his hallway and looked at her in disbelief.

"Hello, Jethro," she said reaching behind her back and producing a weapon. Abby turned to see what was causing the colour to drain from Gibbs' face. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"What are you….? She's not your neighbour, is she Gibbs?" Abby asked realising that she had messed up.

"Nope," Gibbs replied, his mouth going dry.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us, Jethro?" the woman said creepily.

"Abby, this is Estella Hernandez," he said shuddering as he said her name. Abby immediately recognised her name and knew why she was there. She quickly realised the danger they were in. Unnoticed, she slowly reached into her coat pocket and turned on her cell phone. It speed dialled Tony's number.

On the other end, Tony picked up.

"Yeah Abs," Tony answered. There was silence on the other end. "Abby? Abby, are you there?"

Tony couldn't figure out what was going on. He could hear voices but couldn't make them out clearly. His instinct told him something was up. He knew Abby had gone home to Gibbs' house for the night. He called McGee and Ziva and told them to meet him at the car. They had to get to Gibbs place as soon as possible.

------------------

Meanwhile, back at Gibbs house, Estella ordered Abby down into the basement. Abby looked at Gibbs with fear in her eyes not wanting to leave him. She had no doubt that Estella was going to finish what she started and kill Gibbs this time. Tears filled her eyes as Gibbs nodded to her to do as she was told. He hoped that at leastndown there she would be safe. As Abby walked down the stairs, to Gibbs horror, Estella raised the gun and fired a single shot at her. All Gibbs heard was the sickening sound of her body tumbling down the stairs.

"No! Abby!" he screamed trying to get to the door of the basement. Estella swung the weapon and stuck it in Gibbs face. He stopped dead.

"I hadn't planned on it being this messy," Estella said callously. "Now turn around and move," she said pushing him into the living room. Gibbs was in complete shock. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. He didn't really care anymore. Abby was dead. It was his fault.

**_A/N - Sorry guys - couldn't resist a one final cliffie. Hope you'll indulge me! All going well, final chapter will be up by the weekend._**


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N - In case you need a reminder, Estella shot Abby and has Gibbs at her mercy._**

"Sit!" Estella ordered pushing him onto an armchair. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a syringe. "This was supposed to look like a suicide. I even brought your suicide note. But since I had to use a bullet on your little tart I guess it doesn't matter very much now. Shame to waste this though," she grinned taking the sheath off the syringe and flicking it with her finger.

The implication, the immediate threat of the syringe barely registered with Gibbs. _Abby, I'm so sorry Abby. _His heart was breaking. This couldn't be happening. He hoped that this was just another of his nightmares. He wanted so badly to wake up. He wanted this to be over. He couldn't breathe, couldn't live knowing that he was responsible for Abby's death. He didn't even struggle when Estella plunged the syringe into his upper arm and pushed the full dose of morphine through his veins.

* * *

Tony felt sick when the unmistakable sound of a gunshot echoed over the phone. He had kept the line open to Abby's cell after she had called him. Then, seconds after the gunshot, the signal was lost. He accelerated even faster now knowing for sure that something was very wrong. He instructed McGee to call for an ambulance to meet them at Gibbs' address. Within minutes they were pulling up outside Gibbs' house. From out front all looked normal. Tony ordered Ziva and McGee around the back while he planned to enter though the front. Silently he opened the unlocked door and crept into the hallway. With weapon drawn he entered the living room and saw Gibbs slumped in an armchair apparently asleep. He turned suddenly when he heard movement in the kitchen. He was about to follow the sound when a shot rang out followed quickly by two more. He got there just in time to see a raven haired woman fall greviously wounded to the kitchen floor. McGee was in the doorway, clutching his arm.

"You okay, Probie?" Tony asked noticing the blood on his jacket sleeve.

"It's just a nick, Tony," he replied, walking over to check the woman and kick away her weapon. Tony however, disappeared back into the living room to check on Gibbs. He leaned in and felt Gibbs' neck for a pulse. It was pretty weak. There was a bluish tinge to his lips and his breathing was laboured. He checked him for bullet wounds or obvious signs of injury and was surprised to find none. He couldn't figure out why he was unconscious.

"Is he okay?" Ziva asked as she entered the room.

"I don't know. I can't find any injuries," Tony pointed out. Then Ziva noticed the discarded syringe on the carpet. She held it up and showed it to Tony. _Crap_, Tony thought, _what did she give him?_

"Stay with him," he ordered as he stood up. "I'm going to find Abby," he said.

"Abby!" he shouted down the hallway, checking one room at a time. "Abs!" There was no sign of her. _The basement_, he thought. He hurried to the door and switched on the light. He stood there in shock at the sight before him. Below, at the foot of the stairs, the forensic analyst lay in a crumpled heap. He tripped down the stairs to get to her. He saw the bleeding wound high in her back and feared the worst. He felt for a pulse and was greatly relieved to find one. As he looked closer he realised that the wound wasn't as left threatening as it had first appeared. It was in the back of her shoulder close to her scapula.

"Abby, can you hear me?" he asked with great concern. "Abs, open your eyes for me."

At the sound of his voice, she began to stir. She groaned as her body cried out in agony at the slightest movement.

"There you go, Abs, you're going to be okay," Tony said holding her in his arms, consoling her as she came to.

"Gibbs?" she asked weakly.

"He's a bit out of it upstairs but he's okay," Tony told her not even convincing himself. He looked up when heard footsteps coming down the stairs and was relieved to see that it was a paramedic. He knelt beside her and with Tony still holding her he quickly examined her. He administered some pain relief and oxygen which brought her around a little more. She felt woozy and in pain but glad to be alive.

Unknown to those in the basement, Gibbs condition had deteriorated upstairs. He was struggling for each breath and by the time the paramedics arrived, Gibbs had stopped breathing and Ziva was frantically giving him mouth to mouth. She explained to the paramedics that they suspected he had been given a drug overdose but couldn't tell him what type of narcotic was involved. She showed him the syringe they had found. The paramedic decided to administer a dose of Naloxone which could counteract the affects of several well known narcotics. They continued to ventilate him until he eventually started to show improvement and take breaths by himself. Soon he started to come around but was very confused and disorientated.

Tony and another paramedic helped Abby slowly to her feet and up the stairs of the basement. A large gauze pad was taped over her wound to stem the blood flow. She sported a large bump on her forehead where she had hit the banister when she landed at the foot of the stiars. McGee and Ziva were more than a little shocked to see the usually jovial goth injured as she was. Abby insisted she was okay and would not leave in the ambulance without seeing Gibbs.

When Gibbs saw her he kept repeating "Sorry, Abs. I'm so sorry." In his confused state he wasn't sure if she was real or not. "She killed Abby," he said to Ziva who was sitting with him trying to reassure him.

"No, Gibbs, Abby's going to be fine. She's here, look," she said as Tony brought Abby over to him.

"Abby?" Gibbs said drowsily, his eyes glassy and vacant.

"It's me, Gibbs. Luckily that crazy bat couldn't shoot straight. I'm fine, well, not perfectly fine. I do have a hole in my shoulder which hurts like hell by the way, but you know what that's like. Hey, we can compare wounds now. I've never been shot before, now I feel like one of you guys," she said rambling as nervous shock took hold. She looked back at Tony, gripped with alarm when she saw Gibbs' eyes roll in his head. He lost consciousness once again.

"Gibbs?" Abby said unable to hide her worry. The paramedic checked him and looked up at Tony and Abby.

"His B.P. is very low. He needs to get to hospital, now," he said, pulling the nearby gurney closer. They didn't waste any time. Gibbs was quickly secured to the gurney and loaded into the first ambulance. Another ambulance had arrived to transport Abby. Tony travelled with Gibbs while McGee went with Abby. Ziva stayed at Gibbs' house and secured the scene and waited for Ducky to arrive to take Estella's body for autopsy.

At the hospital, the doctors were finally able to determine that Gibbs was suffering from a morphine overdose so they treated him accordingly. Within a few hours he was awake and sitting up in a hospital bed feeling like he had a horrendous hangover but otherwise none the worse for wear. He was more concerned about Abby than for himself. He was very relieved when McGee came in to tell him that she was out of surgery and that everything was fine. There had been no complications and she was in recovery. Tony had told him earlier that McGee was the one who had eventually taken Estella down. Gibbs felt like he owed him a great debt and that he should say something.

"Tim, I just wanted to say thanks," Gibbs said slightly awkwardly. "For …. you know."

"You're welcome, Boss. I'm just glad we got there when we did. You could have….….well, you know," he said, being about as expressive as Gibbs.

Gibbs extended his hand in appreciation. McGee gratefully accepted. Bonding over and both men suitably embarrassed, McGee made his excuses to leave saying that Abby was waiting on him to return. Gibbs stopped him and asked McGee to take him to see her.

"Eh, Boss, I'm not sure that's such a good idea," McGee said fearing the wrath of Gibbs' nurses.

"Come on, McGee. I won't tell if you won't," he said throwing back the bed sheets.

McGee wasn't left with much choice so he helped Gibbs move his drip stand and put on a robe and slippers. Using the drip stand as his crutch, Tim guided Gibbs to the elevator and up to the surgical floor. Abby was delighted to see him, needless to say.

"Gibbs! You look much better," she said delighted to see him on his feet again.

"So do you," he said, relieved to see her sitting up. Her right arm was in a sling and she looked a little pale but then again, she always looked pale, Gibbs thought.

"I don't suppose you have a Caf Pow under that robe, do you?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"I wish," he replied smiling broadly.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs," she said, her demeanour suddenly changing and looking at the ground in shame.

"Sorry? What for?" Gibbs asked puzzled by her apology.

"For letting that murderer into your house, for almost getting you killed," she said obviously livid with herself.

"Oh, Abs, it's not your fault. She had one thing on her mind and she was going to get to me whether you let her in or I did. She's gone now, thanks to McGee, it's all over," Gibbs told her slapping McGee proudly on the back.

"Way to go Timmy!" Abby replied smiling over at McGee. "But Gibbs, who's going to look after you now?"

"Don't worry about that, Abby. I think it's my turn to look after you for a change," Gibbs smiled. "I don't think you'll be bowling for a while," he winked.

"I know! Sr. Rosita will be so pissed. Oh, can I say pissed when talking about a nun?" Abby asked seriously.

McGee and Gibbs burst out laughing. Trust Abby!

**THE END**

**A/N – Hope ur not disappointed with the ending. Some might think it's a bit sudden. There's method to my madness. I feel a sequel coming on. U may have to wait until the New Year tho! **

**Thanx to all of u who took the time to read and review. Hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas. **


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